Little Blue NRD to Participate in AWEP

Landowners in the Little Blue Natural Resource District may have an opportunity to address water conservation goals on their property with assistance from a new federal program — but only if they act soon. On Thursday, the Natural Resources Conservation Service announced that the LBNRD had been selected as an area for funding of projects under the federal Agricultural Water Enhancement Program, or AWEP. The Little Blue district, working in cooperation with District Conservationist Janet Valasek of the NRCS office in Nelson, requested about $3 million in federal funds under the program. That money is to be leveraged by $1.5 million worth of participation by the NRD, including cost share dollars, staff time working on projects, and other input, over three years’ time. Mike Onnen, LBNRD general manager, said the $3 million in AWEP funding is the total authorized for distribution over fiscal years 2009, 2010 and 2011. The catch, he said, is that Congress will have to approve an appropriation for each of those years. If the congressional appropriation ever is rejected and the federal funding dries up, the district will be relieved of its obligation for the match, Onnen said. “It’s kind of a year-by-year program right now,” he said. The AWEP funds may be used for converting gravity irrigation systems to sprinkler irrigation, converting irrigated acres to dryland, improving existing sprinkler systems’ efficiency or implementing better water management techniques. Onnen said first priority for funding will be given to projects within the Hastings Wellhead Protection Area, which stretches north and west from Hastings; and to projects in Subarea 8, a portion of the district in the Chester area where issues with both water quantity and water quality are being addressed. Second priority will go to projects within the five special water quality subareas within the Little Blue district, which encompasses all of Thayer County and parts of Adams, Clay, Webster (to include Blue Hill and the surrounding areas), Nuckolls, Fillmore and Jefferson counties. The district’s special water quality subareas are in the Superior-Hardy, Bruning, Edgar-Fairfield-Davenport, Deshler-Ruskin-Byron and Fairbury areas. Priority also will be given to projects within the wellhead protection area of any community in the district, Onnen said. “Our goal is to try to protect the public drinking water supplies,” he said. Landowners will apply for the AWEP funding through their local NRCS offices. The application window opens Monday and closes Aug. 14, so time is short. In Thursday’s news release, Steve Chick, state conservationist for NRCS, said AWEP is a subcomponent of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or EQIP. Congress created AWEP under provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill. The main difference between AWEP and EQIP is that whereas EQIP applications may come from anywhere in the state, AWEP applications can be made only in specifically approved project areas. AWEP provides farmers and ranchers with financial and technical assistance for projects to conserve groundwater and surface water and improve water quality on agricultural land. In all, 18 Nebraska proposals for the AWEP program were submitted after the program was announced in fall 2008. The LBNRD proposal was one of five from Nebraska and 64 from aacross the country to be approved. Altogether, the five Nebraska projects total nearly $9.85 million in anticipated federal funds, to be leveraged with $7.4 million in local and state funds and in-kind services. The other Nebraska proposals just approved were from the Middle Republican Natural Resources District, the Central Nebraska Public Power & Irrigation District, the Lower Big Blue NRD and Lower Platte North NRD. The CNPPID project involves $1.55 million in federal funding to be leveraged by $3.55 million from the district, the Tri-Basin NRD and local farmers. The goal is to install 50 new full-circle center pivot irrigation systems, as well as subsurface irrigation systems on 400 acres. Farmers participating in that area agree to farm pivot corners with no-till practices for four years and keep records on their results. Target areas within the district are along the CNPPID supply canal southeast North Platte and acres in Kearney, Phelps and Gosper counties. For more information about AWEP, contact a local NRCS office or visit http://www.ne.nrcs.usda.gov/.