NRCS Texas announces $5 million still available as deadline nears for FY24 National Water Quality Initiative applicants

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas has funds remaining for applications submitted for the National Water Quality Initiative(NWQI) before the May 17, 2024, batching period deadline.

NRCS has $5 million available to fund projects within the four identified priority Hydrologic Unit Code-12 (HUC-12) watershed areas: Aransas River, Big Elm Creek, Lake Lavon and Lampasas River.

• The Aransas Riverpriority area consists of 12 HUC-12 watersheds in Bee, Refugio and San Patricio counties.
• The Big Elm Creekpriority area consists of seven HUC-12 watersheds in Bell, Falls, Milam and McLennan counties.
• The Lake Lavonpriority area consists of nine HUC-12 watersheds in Grayson, Fannin, Collin and Hunt counties.
• The Lampasas Riverpriority area consists of eight HUC-12 watersheds in Lampasas and Burnet counties.

National Water Quality Initiative

The purpose of NWQI, which is offered through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program(EQIP), is to work with agriculture producers and landowners to improve water quality. NWQI is designed to help individual agriculture producers take actions to reduce runoff of sediment, nutrients, and pathogens into surface waters where the water quality is a critical concern.

Common conservation practices implemented as part of this initiative include conservation cover, residue management, cover crops, riparian buffers, water well testing, prescribed grazing, tree planting and more. Contact your local NRCS officefor more information.

EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners to address natural resource concerns. NRCS works one-on-one with producers to develop a conservation plan that outlines conservation practices and activities to help solve on-farm resource issues. Producers implement practices and activities in their conservation plan that can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving agricultural operations.

Applying for Assistance

NRCS accepts applications for conservation programs year-round; however, applications must be submitted by May 17, 2024, to be considered for funding in FY24. Applications received after the listed date will be automatically deferred to the next funding period.

Producers, landowners and forest managers interested in applying for assistance should contact their local NRCS service center. Applicants are encouraged to schedule an appointment with their local Farm Service Agency county officewhen applying for NRCS programs to establish or update records.

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