Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP)

The Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) is a voluntary conservation initiative that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to implement agricultural water enhancement activities on agricultural land for the purposes of conserving surface and ground water and improving water quality. As part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), AWEP operates through contracts with producers to plan and implement conservation practices in project areas established through partnership agreements.

Under AWEP, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) enters into partnership agreements with eligible entities. As authorized by Congress, this is not a grant program. The intent of AWEP is for the Federal government to leverage investments in natural resources conservation along with services and resources of other eligible partners.
 

How It Works

Eligible entities propose AWEP project areas for ground and surface water conservation or improvements to water quality on agricultural lands. Partners that are eligible to participate in AWEP include, but are not limited to, federally recognized Indian Tribes, States, units of local government, agricultural or silvicultural associations, or other such groups of agricultural producers.

NRCS evaluates the proposals and selects project areas on a National level. Once AWEP areas are approved, eligible partners enter into multi-year agreements with NRCS to promote ground and surface water conservation or improve water quality on eligible agricultural lands. NRCS will then make special EQIP funding available to eligible landowners and agricultural operators in the project area.

To receive funding through the AWEP, landowners must submit an EQIP application and meet all program eligibility requirements. Individual producers are not eligible to submit a partnership proposal.
 

Fiscal Year 2009 AWEP Project Areas

In 2009, targeted conservation program funding through AWEP was made available in seven Oregon project areas. Private landowners, private nonindustrial forest landowners, farmers, and ranchers may apply for funding and technical assistance related to the following projects. Click here to read the program funding news release.

click for more information	The Birch Creek Project is targeted at improving 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. Contact the Pendleton NRCS Service Center at: (541) 278-8049.	FY 2009 Funding: $38,612
click for more information	The Burnt River Watershed Enhancement Project within the Burnt River Irrigation District in Baker County will offer agricultural operators assistance to convert irrigated land to improved irrigation systems to enhance stream flows, improve water quality and decrease on-farm water consumption. The project partner is the Burnt River Soil and Water Conservation District. For information, contact the Baker City NRCS field office at: (541) 523-7121.	FY 2010 Funding: $864,900
click for more information	The Dalles Irrigation District Project in Wasco County will offer financial and technical assistance to adopt intensive scientific irrigation scheduling practices to conserve water, save energy and improve water quality on orchards irrigated through the project partner, The Dalles Irrigation District. Contact NRCS field office in The Dalles at: (541) 298-8559.	FY 2009 Funding: $189,437
image pending	The Lava Beds and Butte Valley Watersheds Project is located in the Lost River Watershed in Klamath County, Oregon and Lost River and Butte Valley Watersheds in Modoc and Siskyou Counties, California. The Lava Beds/Butte Valley Resource Conservation District and Klamath Soil and Water Conservation District are the project partners. For information, Oregon residents should contact the Klamath Falls NRCS Service Center at: (541) 883-6932. California residents should contact the Tulelake NRCS Basin Project Office at: (530) 667-4247.	FY 2009 Funding: $250,000
click for more information	The McKenzie Canyon Irrigation Project focuses on irrigation water efficiency with irrigation improvements in the Lower Division of the Three Sisters Irrigation District, which is the project partner. The effort will improve stream flows and water quality for native fish while providing farmers a reliable supply of water. Contact the Redmond NRCS Service Center at: (541) 923-4358.	FY 2009 Funding: $727,830
click for more information	The Upper Klamath Lake Watershed Project will help growers convert to dryland (non-irrigated) grazing and improve water supplies in area streams. Agricultural producers in southern Oregon’s Upper Klamath Lake, Williamson, and Sprague Watersheds, including Sevenmile Creek and Wood River subbasins, are encouraged to apply. Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust is the project partner. Contact the Klamath Falls NRCS Service Center at: (541) 883-6924.	FY 2009 Funding: $1,800,000
click for more information	The Willow Creek Project will help landowners in the Lower Willow Creek Watershed portion of Malheur County convert to water-saving irrigation systems, reduce irrigation runoff, and improve water quality in Willow Creek and Malheur River. The project partner is the Vale Oregon Irrigation District. Contact the Ontario NRCS Service Center at: (541) 889-9689.	FY 2009 Funding: $300,000
click for more information	The Zollner Creek Project, located in the Zollner subbasin in Marion County, emphasizes water conservation through irrigation improvements and improved surface water quality through agricultural conservation practices. The Marion Soil and Water Conservation District is the project partner. Contact the Salem NRCS field office at: (503) 399-5741.	FY 2009 Funding: $300,000

Eligibility requirements and local application cutoffs may vary by project. Contact the local NRCS office for more information.

Conservation projects on private working lands outside the scope of the projects above may be eligible for funding through the regular Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Additional 2009 AWEP Information

The Request for Proposals (RFP) announcement outlines the process for partners to submit proposals for the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program. The Fiscal Year 2009 deadline for AWEP proposals was April 1, 2009.

The following document requires Adobe Reader.

The announcement reopening the proposal submission period can be found on the Federal Register Web site at: http://www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2009-06763_PI.pdf

The original AWEP Request for Proposals can be found on the Federal Register Web site at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-504.pdf

AWEP News Release Announcing Funded Projects
AWEP News Release Requesting Proposals

More Information

The following document requires Adobe Reader.

AWEP At a Glance Fact Sheet (PDF, 60 KB)

National NRCS AWEP Web site: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/awep/

Program Contact
Meta Loftsgaarden, Oregon AWEP Manager
Meta.Loftsgaarden@or.usda.gov
 

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