The California Department of Water Resources and the California Department of Food and Agriculture have released a DRAFT Request for Proposals (RFP) for a 30-day comment period concerning a joint application process for the Agricultural Water Use Efficiency & State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program.
This new competitive grant program category will combine $3 million in funding from DWR’s Proposition 1 – Funds for Agricultural Water Suppliers and $3 million from CDFA’s State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program. Water suppliers and agricultural operations within the respective service areas may compete for grant funding to improve agricultural water use efficiency and conveyance system enhancements.
DWR and CDFA intend to demonstrate the potential multiple benefits of conveyance enhancements combined with on-farm agricultural water use efficiency improvements and greenhouse gas reductions. The grant funding is intended to address multiple goals including: water use efficiency, conservation and reduction; greenhouse gas emission reductions; groundwater protection; and sustainability of agricultural operations and food production. DWR and CDFA also anticipate that the projects funded through this program will improve water and air quality, groundwater security, surface water conservation, and nutrient management and crop health.
Comments due by September 30, 2016
Draft Agricultural Water Use Efficiency & State Efficiency and Enhancement Program
Public Workshop Schedule (Sept 27-29, 2016)
Comments can be submitted to: AgWUE@water.ca.gov