Agricultural Drought Relief Program

Although the drought of 2008 may only be a bad memory, impacts still linger on.  In order to reduce the impacts and reduce the costs of future droughts and to conserve water; the Henderson County Soil and Water Conservation District has some grant funds to assist local producers.  Please note that these funds are available in Henderson County only.  If you live in another county contact your local Soil and Water District office to see what they have available.  Read the information below to see if you have projects that may qualify:

This funding can be used for the installation of 4 best management practices:

1. Renovation of pastures killed or damaged by the drought.  (Hayland is not eligible).  Participating farmers must agree to manage fertility, stocking rates, and start /stop grazing heights to minimize the potential for overgrazing and to ensure that a good stand is maintained.

2. Drilling wells for farmers whose existing water supplies for livestock watering or irrigation either went dry or was inadequate to meet existing water supply needs.  (Spray ponds are currently not eligible) 

3. Renovating existing ponds and constructing new ponds for farmers whose existing water supplies for livestock watering or irrigation either went dry or were inadequate to meet existing water supply needs. (Spray ponds currently are not eligible) 

Retrofitting existing irrigation systems to Conservation Irrigation and Micro Irrigation. These practices are intended to:

-convert center-pivot and lateral move irrigation systems to employ drop nozzles or low-pressure spray nozzles. This practice can also be used to convert an existing traveling gun system to a center-pivot or lateral move system using drop nozzles or low-pressure spray. The practice can also be used to equip existing irrigation equipment with end-gun shutoff devices.

-And to replace and/or reduce the use of other types of irrigation and fertilization such as the traveling gun, center-pivot and furrow irrigation systems unless agronomic necessity (e.g., frost/freeze protection, soil settling) suggest alternate or temporary methods of irrigation.

A 10-year maintenance agreement is required for each practice in order to receive funding through this program. If you have any questions, feel free to call Jonathan Wallin or Laurie Brokaw the Henderson County Soil & Water Conservation District at 697-4949.

To discuss possible changes to you irrigation system that would improve the efficiency of the system and conserve water please contact one of the agricultural agents in Henderson County at 697-4891.