Bay Delta Initiative Adds New Funded Project Areas-Applications Due February 21
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California announced today it has approved four proposed project areas to be added to its three-year old Bay Delta Initiative, bringing the total number of project areas to 15. Farm and conservation groups in the approved areas work with farmers from Colusa to Bakersfield on voluntary projects to conserve and protect water and wildlife habitat. Farmers who wish to apply for contracts within these project areas must do so by Feb. 21, 2014, to ensure consideration for funding in 2014.

”California is seeing some of its most challenging times ever relative to conserving and protecting our vital water resources,” said Carlos Suarez, state conservationist for NRCS in California. “Every drop is precious, is valued, and must be used as efficiently as possible. The country and the world looks to our farmers to supply healthy produce, nuts, dairy and other commodities—and wildlife depend upon us for habitat as well. The Bay Delta Initiative helps to focus NRCS aid to farmers and conservation groups working to balance all these needs.”

Eighteen million dollars is available for farmers in the approved areas, through the Farm Bill-funded program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). In addition, four of the continuing projects also received funding from the Bureau of Reclamation to improve water delivery infrastructure. NRCS funding then complements that investment by funding needed on-farm irrigation improvements. For example, pressurizing a system for more efficient delivery could be funded by the Bureau while delivering the newly pressurized water to fields with leak-resistant pipes and systems, may be funded by NRCS. The result is a more efficient water delivery system where all the opportunities for water savings are more fully realized.

Bay Delta Initiative Projects

New Projects in 2014
Sponsors
Award Amount
1. Ingram/Hospital
East and West Stanislaus Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs)
$690,000
2. Lower Colusa Basin Drain
Colusa Glenn Subwatershed Program
$416,000
3. Semitropic & Buena Vista Water Storage Districts
NW Kern RCD
$1,600,000
4. Tehama County- Sacramento River
Tehama RCD
$300,000
Continuing Projects
Sponsors
Award Amount
5. Cache Slough Complex
Dixon RCD
$750,000
6. East San Joaquin
Sustainable Conservation Western United Dairymen
$5,000,000
7. French Camp Slough
San Joaquin RCD
$1,500,000
8. Kings River
Kings River Conservation District
$2,000,000
9. Lower Snake River
Sutter RCD
$1,700,000
10. Walker Creek
Colusa Glenn Subwatershed Program
$720,000
11. Waterbirds
CA Rice Commission
$650,000
Continuing NRCS-Bureau of Reclamation Sponsored Projects
Award Amount
12. Firebaugh Canal Water District
$300,000
13. Henry Miller Reclamation District
$500,000
14. Central California Irrigation District
$600,000
15. Tulare Irrigation District
$750,000