NRCS Agricultural Water Management Activities in the Southeast
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NRCS Agricultural Water Management Activities in the Southeast US Hamid Farahani USDA-NRCS ENTSC, Greensboro, NC Hamid. farahani@gnb. usda. gov Groundwater Management Districts Association Annual Summer Conference Savannah, GA; May 30 – June 1, 2018
US Irrigation Facts • Irrigated agriculture produces 49% of crop market value on 18% of cropped lands. • Irrigated acreage is increasing in the Southeast, and in the Mississippi Delta regions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri. • Competition for water has caused conflicts in areas where water was typically abundant.
NRCS Provides Technical and Financial Assistance to Producers with Planning and Implementation of Water Conservation Practices & Technology
NRCS provides assistance Surface Irrigation to upgrade irrigation systems through: • Use of more advanced equipment, and • Use of more efficient irrigation methods Sprinkler Irrigation Micro Irrigation
NRCS provides assistance to implement advanced On-Farm Irrigation Water Management Sensor-based Irrigation Management
NRCS also provides assistance to implement other on-farm water management practices and technologies On-farm pond Flow measurement Tailwater recovery and reuse Pumping plant evaluation/upgrade Precision irrigation Irrigation water conveyance
NRCS Programs Benefiting On-farm Water Conservation (other programs engaging watershed scale activities are also available) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Provides financial & technical assistance to producers to implement practices that improve natural resources and help producers meet environmental regulations. Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Assists producers to implement advanced management activities that go beyond the basic conservation practices available under EQIP. Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Entities partner with producers to address soil, water, wildlife and related natural resource concerns on regional or watershed scales. Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Funds development of the tools, technologies, and strategies to support nextgeneration conservation efforts.
A Few NRCS-CIG Success Stories in the Southeast Alabama Tuskegee University: Small-scale solar pump irrigation project Florida University of Florida: Development of agronomic and irrigation strategies to manage drought Georgia Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District and University of GA: Integrating Precision Irrigation Technologies and Sensor-based Water Management South Carolina Clemson University: Innovative Water Conservation Technologies to Enhance Resilience to Drought While Optimizing Farm Profits Tennessee University of Tennessee: Deficit Irrigation of Row Crops in Humid Regions Other States not listed herein.