USDA-NRCS

1. United States Department of AgricultureNatural Resources Conservation ServiceUSDA-NRCSOgallala Aquifer ProgramPresented by:Cleon W. Namken, PEIrrigation Engineer

3. USDA-NRCS • Agency Background • Authorized by U.S. Congress in 1935 in response to the “Dust Bowl” period. • Originally Named the Soil Conservation Service - SCS • Organizational Structure is by Region, State, Zone and County • Partnered with local Soil and Water Conservation Districts • “Field Offices” in most counties in the US

4. USDA-NRCS Alphabetical List of NRCS Programs and Activities Agricultural Management Assistance Animal Feeding Operations Colorado River Basin Salinity Control(EQIP) Conservation Compliance - Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation Conservation Effects Assessment Project Conservation Innovation Grants (EQIP) Conservation Planning Conservation of Private Grazing Lands Conservation Program Appeals Conservation Program Mediation Conservation Reserve Program (USDA Farm Service Agency) Conservation Security Program Archive Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Conservation Technical Assistance Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative Customer Service Toolkit Emergency Watershed Protection Program (Floodplain Easements) Emergency Watershed Protection Program (Recovery) Environmental Justice Environmental Quality Incentives Program Equitable Relief Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program Farmland Protection Policy Act Grassland Reserve Program Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative Healthy Forests Reserve Program International Programs Klamath Basin Program (EQIP) Limited Resource Farmer/Rancher Self-Determination Tool National Animal Agriculture Conservation Framework National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Documents National Resources Inventory Rapid Watershed Assessment Small, Limited, and Beginning Farmer Assistance Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Soil Survey Program State Technical Committees Tribal Government Assistance Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program Watershed Surveys and Planning Watershed Rehabilitation Program Wetlands Reserve Program Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program

5. USDA-NRCS

7. USDA-NRCS Ogallala Aquifer America’s stewardship of this natural resource is critical. The Ogallala Aquifer supports nearly one-fifth of the wheat, corn, cotton and cattle produced in the United States. Underlying approximately 225,000 square miles of the Great Plains, water from the aquifer is vital to agricultural, municipal and industrial development, making up 30 percent of all groundwater used for irrigation in America.

8. USDA-NRCS • Environmental Quality Incentives Program • EQIP • The Primary “Cost Share”“Payment” Program for Ogallala States • Regular EQIP program • Ogallala Aquifer Initiative – State Resource Concern, Irrigation • Agricultural Water Enhancement Program - Federal EqipMoney with sponsorship by State or Local Entities) • These three funds provide monetary assistance to Farmers and Ranchers installing qualified Conservation Practices that address • SWAPA Resource Concerns • (Soil, Water, Air, Plant, Animal and Energy.)

9. USDA-NRCS • Regular EQIP program • National Priorities • State Priorities • Local Priorities • Applications are Ranked using Nationwide Ranking Criteria • Contracts use National and Regional Payment Rates • Special Rates for Historically UnderServed (HUS) and Beginning Farmers

10. USDA-NRCS The Ogallala Aquifer Initiative Using a comprehensive set of conservation practices, the Ogallala Aquifer Initiative (OAI) aims to reduce aquifer water use, improve water quality and enhance the economic viability of croplands and rangelands in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

11. USDA-NRCS The Ogallala Aquifer Initiative The (NRCS) State Conservationists in OAI states collaborated with local conservation districts, state environmental agencies, land grant universities and NRCS State Technical Advisory Committees to complete inventories and determine high priority resource concerns within the OAI area.

12. USDA-NRCS • Ogallala Aquifer Initiative • Replaced the 2002 Farm Bill “Ground and Surface Water” Fund • In Texas it is Utilized as a State Resource Concern, Ogallala Aquifer Irrigation • Other Ogallala States may have different methods of funding

13. USDA-NRCS The Ogallala Aquifer Initiative Partners Central Colorado Water Conservation District Colorado State Technical Committee Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) KDA, Department of Conservation Kansas Groundwater Management Districts Kansas Technical Committee Kansas Water Office Nebraska Association of Resources Districts Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Nebraska Local Working Groups Nebraska Natural Resources Districts Nebraska State Technical Committee University of Nebraska New Mexico Local Work Groups New Mexico Office of State Engineers New Mexico State Technical Committee South Dakota Conservation Districts South Dakota State Technical Committee Texas Soil and Water Conservation Board Texas State Technical Advisory Committee Texas Tech University Texas Underground Water Conservation Districts Texas Water Development Board Laramie County Commissioners Laramie County Conservation District Republican Water Conservation District Wyoming State Technical Committee Wyoming Water Development Commission U.S. Geological Survey

14. USDA-NRCS • Ogallala Aquifer Irrigation • 2011 and 2012

15. USDA-NRCS • Agricultural Water Enhancement Program • Federal EQIP Money • Sponsored by State or Local Entity Agreement • Contracts are carried out just like EQIP Contracting • The 2008 Farm Bill provided $73 million for fiscal year 2009, $73 million for fiscal year 2010, $74 million for fiscal year 2011, and $60 million for fiscal year 2012 . • Proposals in AWEP Priority Areas receive higher ranking.

16. Agricultural Water Enhancement Program

17. USDA-NRCS • Agricultural Water Enhancement Program • 2011

18. USDA-NRCS EQIP How it works: Farmers Apply for an EQIP, AWEP, or OAI Contract Applications are ranked based on National, State, and Local Environmental and Conservation Priorities Farmers receive a Payment for a portion of the total cost After the practice is Installed and Certified complete.

19. USDA-NRCS Texas Ogallala Program Fund Categories EQIP County Base EQIP National Ogallala Aquifer Initiative EQIP State Ogallala Aquifer Initiative AWEP State Beef State Dairy State Beginning Farmer State Socially Disadvantaged

20. USDA-NRCS Texas Ogallala - EQIP, AWEP, OAI, etc. Practices 329 – 345 : Residue Management, No-Till, Strip-Till, and Mulch Till 441 : Microirrigation, SDI 430 : Irrigation Pipeline 442 : Sprinkler Irrigation 449 – *587 : Irrigation Water Management *587 : Structure for Water Control, Flowmeters

21. USDA-NRCS Texas Ogallala - EQIP, AWEP, OAI, etc. 2009-2012 Practice Count Acres 329 – 345 241 91,242 430 320 59,664 441 587 28,637 442 1,380 194,682 449-587 126 65,835 Totals 2,654 440,060

22. Texas Ogallala - EQIP, AWEP, OAI, etc.

23. USDA-NRCS Ogallala Aquifer States - Totals Program Count Acres Acre Feet EQIP General 3,862 71,204 397,227 EQIP Ogallala 1,802 241,239 193,638 AWEP 1,620 148,283 85,087 All Other 162 21,583 8,608 Totals 7,446 1,123,149 684,560

26. END USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex (including gender identity and expression), marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, genetic information, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

27. Texas Ogallala - FIRI

28. Texas Ogallala - FIRI

29. Texas Ogallala - FIRI