New program that will test innovative crops and practices to significantly reduce agricultural water use at low to moderate costs.
DENVER — The Bureau of Reclamation is launching the Sustainable Water for Agriculture Pilots (SWAP) Program that will test innovative crops and practices to significantly reduce agricultural water use at low to moderate costs. These projects will keep the farmland in production while conserving water. Reclamation has $6.5 million available this year for this new program through the Inflation Reduction Act.
“This innovative program seeks to preserve farming and agricultural activities in water stressed areas,” said Policy Advisor James Langhenry. “If the demonstration projects are successful, the innovative crops or practices can be used over time to ensure families can continue to farm while receiving compensation and strengthening water security in the West.”
These demonstration projects are needed to show whether specific crops or practices are practicable in particular geographic areas:
- If proven to be viable, these crops and practices could reduce agricultural water use or demand by 25-75% or more on a per-acre basis while keeping farmland in production.
- In many cases alternative crops and practices would cost $250-500 per acre-foot of saved water, much less than alternatives that often cost well over $1000 per acre-foot.
- The SWAP program criteria incentivize applicants to work with partners, such as municipal water districts, to develop post-project agreements to pay for implementation of sustainable crops and practices over the long-term, relieving pressure on the federal budget to compensate for necessary reductions in water use. Municipal water districts need the water and, in many cases, can afford to pay hundreds of dollars per acre foot to incentivize farmers to engage in sustainable water practices.
The SWAP Program would complement the Department of Agriculture’s Water-Saving Commodities Program. At present the program is limited to water districts, Tribes, and acequias eligible to participate in the Water-Saving Commodities Program. Reclamation is sending letters of application to those entities inviting them to apply for SWAP funding if they meet the program criteria.
Projects will be evaluated on factors including:
- The magnitude of their projected water savings per acre of irrigated land.
- The estimated cost per acre foot of water that they save.
- Whether they involve innovative crops or practices.
