Birch Creek Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) Project

The Birch Creek Project is offered to help local agricultural operators voluntarily improve irrigation efficiency and fish habitat on the East Fork of Birch Creek in Umatilla County. The Umatilla Basin Watershed Council is the partner for the project.

NRCS is accepting applications for Fiscal Year 2009 funding until August 14, 2009. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be grouped and ranked each Friday. Applications received after August 14 will not be considered for funding this year and will be held for evaluation in 2010, pending availability of funds. Just over $38,000 will be directed to the Birch Creek Project in Oregon’s Umatilla County for Fiscal Year 2009.

AWEP promotes ground and surface water conservation and improves water quality by helping farmers and ranchers implement agricultural water enhancement activities. Through the program, NRCS sets aside conservation funding through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to address natural resource concerns in identified project areas. Agricultural producers apply for EQIP funding to address those issues on their land. Those receiving assistance through AWEP must meet EQIP requirements and enter into a program contract with NRCS.

AWEP project areas were proposed by partner groups, such as federally recognized Indian Tribes, States, units of local government, agricultural associations, and other such groups that are willing to collaborate and contribute resources to help achieve project objectives. In this way, AWEP allows the agency to leverage the federal investment in natural resources conservation with the services and resources of other conservation partners.

The Umatilla Basin Watershed Council is the project partner for the Birch Creek Project.

Partner proposals were selected competitively at a national level. Proposals that received higher rankings may include: natural resource priority areas, property undergoing conversion from irrigated to dryland farming, projects that help producers meet regulatory requirements, or areas with a high percentage of agricultural land and producers.

AWEP was established by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) and funding comes from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers the program for USDA.

For more information, contact the Pendleton NRCS Service Center at (541) 278-8049.

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Birch Creek Project (PDF, 281 KB)

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