United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service		 Arkansas Go to Accessibility Information
Skip to Page Content
 Harvesting a field in Arkansas





NRCS sets application deadline for ground and surface water conservation funds

Little Rock, Ark., March 16, 2004 -- The Natural Resources Conservation Service announced today almost $2.5 million of the $16.5 million of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program funding is available to producers of irrigated cropland lying within the Cache River, Grand Prairie and Beouf-Tensas ground water study areas identified by the Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission. The deadline to sign up for GSWC fund and regular EQIP funds is April 2.

Producers with eligible land may apply for both GSWC funds and regular EQIP funds to assist with irrigation related practices. Each application will compete separately. Applications may be selected through either, both or neither program depending on total dollars requested, ranking scores of applicants and dollars available.

The purpose of GSWC funds is to promote ground and surface water conservation by providing cost-share and incentive payments to producers to carry out eligible water conservation activities to:

  • Improve irrigation systems;
  • Enhance irrigation efficiencies;
  • Convert to the production of less water-intensive agricultural commodities or dryland farming;
  • Improve water storage through measures such as water banking and groundwater recharge;
  • Mitigate the effects of drought; or
  • Institute other measures that improve groundwater and surface water conservation, as determined by the USDA secretary, in the agricultural operations of producers.

“A participant may receive assistance to implement an EQIP plan of operations for water conservation with GSWC funds only if the assistance will facilitate a net savings in ground and surface water resources in the agricultural operation of the producer,” said Kalven L. Trice, state conservationist.

“A participant will be eligible for cost-share or incentive payments for irrigation related structural and land management practices only on land that has been irrigated for two of the last five years prior to application for assistance,” he added. “Ranking for GSWC funds will be done separately from regular EQIP funds ranking.

Certain lands in the following counties are eligible for these funds: Arkansas, Ashley, Chicot, Clay, Craighead, Cross, Desha, Drew, Greene, Independence, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, Lonoke, Monroe, Phillips, Poinsett, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, St. Francis, White and Woodruff. Contact your local NRCS office for land eligibility determinations and to sign up for the program.

< Back to News