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U.S. Dept. of AgricultureNatural Resources
Conservation Service
Presented ByGreg Norris, P.E.
USDA-NRCSDavis, CA
The NRCS Mission
•To conserve, protect and enhance natural resources for sustained use. To achieve non-degradation of the natural resources.
THIS FARM HAS ACONSERVATION PLAN
The effectiveness of these plans depends upon doing quality work in planning, designing and installation….
Understanding what the customer needs
to succeed!
The conservation plan is the basis for determining the work needed to be done.
Soil Erosion – Surface Water Quality, Soil/Plant health
Irrigation Efficiency –Minimize Water Use and Maximize Availability
SOIL & PLANT HEALTH‐Minimizes Erosion, Maximizes Plant Productivity
Cover Crops
• Practice Standards & Specifications are in the Field Office Technical Guide
NRCS Programs
•Conservation Technical Assistance •Soils Survey•Snow Survey•Farm Bill Financial Assistance
Conservation Technical Assistance(On-Farm/Program Neutral)
NRCS helps agricultural producers develop & implement conservation plans that protect, conserve, and enhance the resources and meet the client’s needs.
• NRCS conducts Soils Surveys and makes Data available for resource planners• Web Soil Survey• Soil Survey App
SOIL SURVEY
Web Soil SurveySoil Survey App
Snow Survey
SNOTEL Sites send snow data automatically to WS Forecasters
West-wide including Alaska the NRCS
operates ~860 SNOTEL stations
37 SNOTELS inSierra Nevada
and NE California
SCAN Sites (Soil Climate Analysis Network)
15 stations in California.
NRCS Interactive Map
Period of record data for all DWR‐CDEC snow pillows and snow courses are available
https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/webmap/index.html
Gives a nice visual display of:– Current data– Records – Delta (change in SWE between dates)
– Water Year Peak– Date of Water Year Peak
FARM BILL PROGRAMS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM
(EQIP)
What is EQIP• One of the conservation programs of the Farm Bill• Provides financial assistance to producers to apply conservation practices
During 2015/2016/2017, NRCS provided a total of about $70M to ag producers to install irrigation systems and irrigation pipelines that meet NRCS standards
441‐ Micro Irrigation System442‐Sprinkler irrigation System430‐ Irrigation Pipeline
Why NRCS offers EQIP
Help producers get better control over their irrigations to: • Reduce water loss• Reduce fertilizer, pesticides and sediment leaving the field
• Have more flexibility to respond to interruptions in water supply (i.e. drought)
• Possibly reduce energy consumption
How EQIP works• Land must be currently irrigated
•Funds typically pay for about half the cost of installing a practice
•Funds are competitive, projects with the greatest environmental benefit are given priority
Program Benefits•Producers are installing more irrigation improvements (Assist about 2,000 Ag producers each year in CA with irrigation)
•Ensures high quality through NRCS participation –Practice Standards
•Promotes conservation of California’s water resources.
RECENT USDA/NRCS UPDATESLast year, NRCS was reorganized into a new USDA branch. Formerly under the Natural Resources and Environment branch with the Forest Service, NRCS is now under the Farm Production and Conservation branch with the Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency. Our new Undersecretary is Bill Northey.
NRCSFSARMA
FARM PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION
(FPAC)
NRCSUSFS
NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
The FPAC focus has been to improve customer service to agricultural producers.
Elimination of the DUNS number requirements for ag producers only.
Streamlining program application process and evaluation.
RECENT USDA/NRCS UPDATES
TECHNICAL SERVICE PROVIDERS (TSPs)
• NRCS wants to expand the use of private companies/individuals to help get work done through the TSP program
• Irrigation Specialists must go through a certification process to become a TSP
• Once certified, TSPs act as agents of NRCS in planning designing and certifying projects.
TSP PAYMENT RATES LOOKUP
Two key things required to irrigate efficiently:
1. An efficient irrigation system
2. Good irrigation scheduling (timing and amount) decisions, “Management”
THANK YOU!