INDIANAPOLIS, July 31, 2009—State Conservationist Jane Hardisty with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) today announced over $554,000 million is available through the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) for water conservation and water quality improvements on agricultural working lands. The program will focus on two areas in Indiana for agriculture producers to improve efficiency and help water conservation efforts.

USDA selected two Indiana project areas for funding beginning in 2009. One project area lies in LaPorte County in the Kankakee River watershed. The second project is located in the St. Joseph River watershed that drains west/northwest into Lake Michigan. Seven northern Indiana counties have agricultural land in the St. Joseph watershed: St. Joseph, Elkhart, LaGrange, Steuben, Kosciusko, Noble and Dekalb.

“AWEP is a new Farm Bill conservation program that focuses on improving overall efficiency of irrigation systems and their operation to improve water conservation and water quality on agricultural working lands,” said Hardisty. “AWEP will bring additional dollars to Indiana to assist with our conservation efforts. This is a voluntary conservation initiative that allows NRCS to provide additional financial and technical assistance to farmers to improve water conditions on their agricultural land.”

Eligible producers have from August 3 to August 28 to apply for this financial assistance at their local USDA Service Center. Everyone receiving assistance through AWEP must meet the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) requirements. Though participating AWEP producers do not need to have existing EQIP contracts, they must be eligible for EQIP.  For more information about AWEP, click here or contact NRCS at your local USDA Service Center.  USDA Service Center locations can be found here!

Contacts:
Jane Hardisty, NRCS State Conservationist: 317-290-3200
Michael McGovern, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist: 317-290-3200, ext. 324

Irrigation Scheduling
This includes: soil type, water holding capacity, crop type, application rates, rainfall, and heat units.

Benefits:

• Payout to farmers
• System upgrades assistance
• Increased efficiency
• Increase resource utility
• Responsibility of farmers: report rainfall and water application
• It’s FREE!