As the effects of a warming planet become more evident and pressing, so do the measures needed to be taken to mitigate them. In an example of taking action to safeguard the struggling agriculture system, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the United States Department of Agriculture is investing $400 million to strengthen water conservation efforts across the Western U.S.
The historic initiative aims to support Western farmers and ranchers in using innovative water-saving technologies and farming practices while producing water-saving commodities in the face of continued drought.
It will conserve up to 50,000 acre-feet of water and benefit 250,000 acres of irrigated land across at least 18 irrigation districts. The USDA is also announcing a tribal set-aside within the program, targeting up to $40 million in additional funding for tribal lands.
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The funding builds on the Biden-Harris administration's work to conserve water, increase water-use efficiency, upgrade infrastructure, and overall strengthen water security in the West.
The administration has also worked to tackle the problem at the source by adopting several measures to reduce the planet-warming pollution driving the changes in climate, which has led to a global agriculture system at risk, including introducing the Inflation Reduction Act.
The USDA selected irrigation districts based on several commodity production and water management-related criteria to maximize the ability to achieve the program's objectives. The districts chosen could receive up to $15 million each. Depending on available funding, awards to additional districts may be possible.
Participating producers will be paid for voluntarily reducing water consumption while maintaining commodity production. Their individual needs will decide the strategies used, including crop rotation, cover crop, residue and tillage management, no-till, and nutrient management, all of which build resilience to future drought.
"Agricultural producers are the backbone of rural communities across the West, and many of them are struggling under prolonged drought conditions," Vilsack said in the announcement. "USDA is taking an 'all hands' approach to help address this challenge, including these new partnerships with irrigation districts to support producers. We want to scale up the tools available to keep farmers farming, while also voluntarily conserving water and expanding markets for water-saving commodities."
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