USDA announced a $400 million investment in at least 18 irrigation districts to help farmers maintain commodity production while conserving water in the West.
This funding will support innovative water-saving technologies and farming practices amid drought conditions. The initiative aims to conserve up to 50,000 acre-feet (an acre-foot is 325,851 gallons) of water across 250,000 acres of irrigated land. Each selected district may receive up to $15 million and will form sub-agreements with participating producers. Producers will be paid for voluntarily reducing water consumption while continuing commodity production. Conservation strategies will be tailored to producers’ needs, including irrigation improvements, management practice changes and crop system adjustments.
Additionally, USDA announced a $40 million Tribal set-aside, working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Tribes, and Tribal producers to reduce water use and support water-saving commodity production in Indian Country.
