USDA Approves Nelson, Osborne Request to Dedicate EQIP Funds to Convert Irrigated Acres in Republican River Basin

Download the EQIP Irrigated Acre Retirement Program Fact Sheet

Producers in Nebraska’s Republican River Basin will be eligible to apply for assistance from USDA to convert their irrigated acres to non-irrigated acres, reducing the demand on water in the Basin, Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson and 3rd District Representative Tom Osborne announced today.

Producers in the Middle Republican NRD may sign-up between July 24 and August 4, 2006. A total package of $675 per acre will be offered to the highest priority ranked ground water applications in exchange for a signed commitment to permanently retire irrigation on the contracted acres. Acres located in, or within two miles of, the Quick Response Area are eligible. To sign-up, visit your local NRCS office.

Nelson and Osborne had asked USDA officials at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to dedicate some excess funds from the EQIP program to the Republican River Basin. Nelson made the request during a June 22 meeting.

“Anything we can do to help producers recover from the devastating effects of the drought is money well spent,” said Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson. “Using leftover funds from the EQIP program to help producers transition out of irrigation based systems in the Republican River Basin will lower the demand on water and help Nebraska meet the terms of the water use agreement. I am pleased to have worked with Congressman Tom Osborne on behalf of Republican River Basin producers.”

“As we seek to comply with the Republican River Settlement during a multiyear drought, we must explore every available option to send more water downriver. I am pleased that the NRCS has chosen to use excess EQIP funds to help reduce irrigated acres in the Republican Basin, and I will continue to work with Senator Nelson to find more ways to reduce water demand on the Republican River,” said Congressman Osborne.

The NRCS informed Senator Nelson and Congressman Osborne that it would dedicate $792,000 in excess EQIP program funds to Republican River Basin producers, as well as provide additional funds for technical assistance. With matching funds of $600,000 from the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources and $100,000 each from local Natural Resource Districts (NRD), the total funding for this program will top $1.6 million. Nebraska officials have estimated that this level of funding should help them take care of about 2400 acres.
“This was a total team effort from the state and local agencies to the Congressional Delegation. All of the associated agencies pulled together, developed a plan and worked together to achieve it. I would like to thank the State Department of Natural Resources and the local NRDs for all their hard work on behalf of the Republican River Basin and the state of Nebraska,” Nelson added.

Nebraska entered a Republican River water use agreement with Kansas and Colorado in 2002. The local NRDs have prohibited new irrigation well drilling and installed flow meters on existing wells in the Basin and have established limits on pumping. Nebraska and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have instituted incentive programs to help producers convert from irrigation to dry land farming. The drought has made compliance increasingly difficult for the region.

July 14, 2006

Governor Heineman’s news release:

Nebraska to Receive New Funding for Water Conservation in Republican River Basin

(Lincoln, Neb.) Governor Dave Heineman was notified by federal officials this week that Nebraska will receive nearly $800,000 in funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The federal funding will be used to support the state’s ongoing water conservation efforts in the Republican River basin.

The new NRCS funding will be combined with $900,000 in state and local funds set aside to offer irrigators in the basin an opportunity to permanently retire irrigated acres for water conservation purposes.

“I want to thank Nebraska’s congressional delegation for working with us to address a very critical need, and I am particularly grateful for the involvement of our two U.S. Senators and Congressman Tom Osborne,” Gov. Heineman said. “Our state does best when we work together as a team, and because of our willingness to do so, we will be able to offer farmers a much-needed alternative in a region deeply affected by drought.”

The Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in collaboration with NRCS and the Upper, Middle and Lower Republican Natural Resources Districts (NRD) will provide farmers and landowners in the basin with nearly $1.7 million in Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding for water conservation. DNR will contribute $600,000 in funding for the partnership with the NRDs contributing $100,000 each.

Through EQIP, NRCS pays irrigators a $100 per acre payment for three years in return for filing a permanent easement that rescinds irrigation rights on targeted acres. The combined state and local funding offered by NRDs will provide an additional one-time payment of $375 per acre of land enrolled in EQIP, bringing the total payment to $675 per acre.

The goal of the partnership is to enroll at least 2,400 acres, with the potential to save an estimated 2,600 acre-feet of water per year. An acre-foot is defined by the amount of water needed to cover one acre of land in 12 inches of water.

NRCS State Conservationist Steve Chick said, “This is a special initiative and, at this point, a one-time offer to irrigation farmers. Future funding will depend on available budget dollars. We were able to request EQIP funds that were made available from other states.”

NRCS expects to begin the application process this month, and will announce details in the coming weeks. Under the contracts, landowners will maintain ownership of any EQIP land and will retain the right to dry land farm or return the property to grassland. The easement is permanent and remains in effect following any sale of EQIP lands. Additional funding may also be contributed by the Tri-Basin NRD, but has not been finalized.

Acting DNR Director Ann Bleed said, “These funds will target irrigated acres along the Republican River and its tributaries. This is another option for farmers to use and reduce groundwater usage in the Republican Basin, and it compliments the current Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) still being offered.”