Colorado agriculture officials have handed out $1.68 million in competitive grants for efforts to withstand the historic drought now bedeviling the West.

The 21 entities given money include agricultural businesses, tribal organizations, water management entities, and watershed improvement projects across the state, according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

“Water is life for Colorado," Gov. Jared Polis said. "I’m thrilled that these grants sent much needed funds across our state to address the ongoing impacts of the drought and support our agricultural industry. I look forward to seeing the impact of these grants for years to come.”

The funds supported a variety of projects, including weed treatment and reseeding in drought stricken areas, improvements to the infrastructure and efficiency of water diversion and ditch projects, and improvements to grazing lands through a variety of methods that improve soil health and range condition, according to a state release. The project proposals were reviewed by a committee of experts, who selected the final grant recipients. 

The competitive grants funded more than 100 projects involving irrigation, pasture, livestock distribution, or water diversion projects that promote environmental stewardship among ag producers and ag water users. The funding for the grants comes from SB 21-234, which appropriated $3M to CDA to fund drought mitigation, energy efficiency, and soil health projects, including $15,000 to each of Colorado’s 74 Conservation Districts.

Source: Colorado Department of Agriculture, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.