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Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP)

Updated 08/03/2009

2009 Agricultural Water Enhancement Program

The Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) is a voluntary conservation initiative that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to implement agricultural water enhancement activities on agricultural land for the purposes of conserving surface and ground water and improving water quality. As part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), AWEP operates through contracts with producers to plan and implement conservation practices in project areas established through partnership agreements.

Under AWEP, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) enters into partnership agreements with eligible entities that want to promote ground and surface water conservation or improve water quality on agricultural lands.  The Secretary of Agriculture has delegated the authority for AWEP to the NRCS Chief.
 

2009 AWEP Awards Announced

News Release (7/30/09): USDA Announces $58 Million to Improve Water Quality and Quantity in Agricultural Production

2009 AWEP Awards and Funding

Please note that the amount of financial assistance provided to approved projects will change ever fiscal year depending upon appropriations and agency priorities.
 

Legal Authority

  • Section 2510 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA) establishes the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) and EQIP (16 U.S.C. 3839aa and 7 CFR 1466).
  • Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1935, 16 U.S.C. 590a et seq.

Program Description

During fiscal year 2009, NRCS will make AWEP funds available to owners and operators of agricultural lands who participate in approved AWEP project areas.

As authorized by Congress, this is not a grant program to eligible partners. This is a program whereby approved, eligible partners will enter into multi-year agreements with NRCS to promote ground and surface water conservation, or improve water quality on eligible agricultural lands.

The intent of AWEP is for the Federal government to leverage investment in natural resources conservation along with services and resources of other eligible partners. Individual producers are not eligible to submit a partnership proposal.

Eligible Partners

Eligible partners include, but are not limited to:

  • Federally recognized Indian Tribes
  • States
  • units of local government
  • agricultural or silvicultural associations or other groups of such producers such as
    • an irrigation association
    • an agricultural land trust
  • or other nongovernmental organization with experience working with agricultural producers.
Producers

Owners and operators engaged in livestock or agricultural production are eligible for the program. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pasture, private non-industrial forestland, and other farm or ranch lands.

In order for a producer to be considered for financial assistance through a AWEP partner agreement, a program application must have been submitted. When announced and available refer to Fact Sheets and visit the NRCS EQIP program website for information how and when to apply. For more detail regarding eligibility and application requirements contact your local NRCS field office.

Funding

The 2008 Farm Bill provides $73 million for fiscal year 2009, $73 million for fiscal year 2010, $74 million for fiscal year 2011, and $60 million for fiscal year 2012 and each year thereafter for AWEP.

Please note that the amount of financial assistance provided to approved projects will change every fiscal year depending upon appropriations and agency priorities. Agricultural producers in selected project areas may apply for available AWEP funds at their local United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) service center. Once an application is selected, an eligible agricultural producer will enter into a contract with NRCS to implement approved conservation practices. Through these EQIP program contracts, NRCS provides payments to agricultural producers for implementing conservation practices.  

Partner Application

The extended submission period for 2009 applications is closed.

Notices and Additional Information

The following documents require Adobe Reader:

AWEP Project Proposals Approved for Fiscal Year 2009 (PDF, 44KB)

Approved AWEP Priority Areas  (PDF, 141KB) details which parts of the country may receive higher rankings on AWEP proposals.

2009 AWEP Notice of Request for Proposals (PDF, 68KB) — The Federal Register Notice announcing the availability of EQIP fiscal year 2009 program funding through AWEP. It is also available from the Federal Register website.

AWEP At a Glance (PDF, 57KB) - This document on the NRCS 2008 Farm Bill website, provides basic information about AWEP.

AWEP D4 Criteria 03-02-09 (PDF, 311KB) - This document provides an explanation, map and list of Counties which qualify for the AWEP exemption for irrigation history eligibility requirements. D4 Counties are those areas meeting the RFP requirements related to Exceptional Drought criteria.

Program Contact

Mark Parson
202-720-1840
mark.parson@wdc.usda.gov

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