Transcript State Assistance Programs - NC Agriculture Development

Pond Development Workshops
November/December 2010
Ag Water Resources Assistance
Program (AgWRAP)
 Newly proposed cost share program in response to HB
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1748 from the 2010 Legislative Session
Focus on developing and enhancing agricultural water
resources
Ponds, wells, water capture/reuse, water use efficiency
are examples
Plan presented to the Leg. Study Commission on
Water and Wastewater Infrastructure on Nov. 1
Stay tuned
NC Agriculture Cost Share Prog.
 Established in 1984 to reduce agricultural nonpoint source
impacts on water quality
 60+ practices eligible for funding (5 categories)
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Erosion/nutrient reduction practices
Sediment/nutrient reduction practices
Animal waste management practices
Stream protection systems
Agrichemical pollution prevention practices
 Apply through local soil and water conservation districts
 Cost share rate
 Typically up to 75% cost share
 Up to 90% if qualify as beginning farmer, limited resource farmer,
or participant in Enhanced Voluntary Ag District
Funding for Ponds
 Presently funding for ponds is limited
 Renovation of existing agricultural ponds
 Sediment basins
 Agricultural water supply pond (drought response only)
 Must be sited to provide benefit for water quality
Agricultural Pond Restoration/Repair
 Renovation of leaking/damaged dams, spillways, and
overflow pipes
 capped at $15,000 + $12,000 for professional engineer
support, if needed
 Removal of accumulated sediment
 capped at $3,000
 Pond must be a low Hazard-class pond
 Since July 2008, contracts approved for 168 pond
restoration projects (mostly sediment removal)
Agricultural Pond
Restoration –
Sediment Removal
Sediment Basin
 Constructed to trap and store waterborne sediment
 Can only be used where physical conditions or land
ownership preclude treatment of a sediment source by
the installation of other erosion control measures to
improve water quality.
 Sized based upon needed sediment trapping, not
water supply need, but can be expanded without cost
share
 Water supply need is not adequate justification for this
practice
 Since July 2008, 1 contract approved
Agricultural Water Supply Pond
 Construct agricultural ponds for water supply for
existing irrigation or livestock watering requirements
(not expansion of the operation)
• Capped at $15,000 + $12,000 for professional engineer
support, if needed
 Limited to funding under the Agricultural Drought
Response Project
 Contracts approved for 3 ponds since July 2008
 Potential to be funded under proposed AgWRAP
Other Water Resource Practices
Wells
 for pasture-based livestock
(stream protection)
 for irrigation (drought only)
 for confined livestock
(drought only)
Conservation Irrigation
 Micro-irrigation conversion
 Conservation irrigation
retrofit
 High-pressure to low
pressure
 Travelling gun to center pivot
Agricultural Water Enhancement
Program (AWEP)
 Partnership between USDA-NRCS and Division of Soil
and Water Conservation
 Assist conversion to more efficient irrigation methods
 Micro-irrigation
 Conversion of Center pivots/lateral moves to low-
pressure/drop nozzles
 Conversion of traveling gun systems to center pivots
with low pressure/drop nozzles
 Apply in local soil and water conservation district in
Spring 2011