About $350,000 in cost-share funding is still available for irrigation management equipment through the USDA-NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
 
The RCPP funding is for installation of irrigation system monitoring equipment, soil moisture probes, and other irrigation management equipment. The program ends in 2018.
 
Approximately $525,397 in RCPP funds have been awarded to date. This represents 119 contracts encompassing 44,754 acres.  An additional $15,000 may be awarded in pending applications.
 
Participation in RCPP is entirely voluntary. Interested producers in the Panhandle-South Plains region can sign up for the program at their local USDA-NRCS service center.
 
Additional information about RCPP is available at www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov.  USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
 
In addition, be sure to visit www.hpwd.org/rcpp for information about eligible equipment, estimated payment rates, a contact list of USDA-NRCS Service Centers, and a map illustrating the 29 counties participating in RCPP.
 
High Plains Underground Water Conservation District (HPWD) in Lubbock serves as the lead RCPP partner. Supporting partners include Hemphill County UWCD in Canadian, Llano Estacado UWCD at Seminole, Mesa UWCD at Lamesa, North Plains GCD at Dumas, Sandy Land UWCD at Plains, and South Plains UWCD at Brownfield.
 
These groundwater conservation districts do not receive any funding for the program, but provide in-kind services to assist with water conservation efforts.
 
Be sure to “like” the High Plains Water District Facebook page to receive updates on district activities or follow us on Twitter at @HPUWCD.
 
Created in 1951 by local residents and the Texas Legislature, the High Plains Water District was created to conserve, preserve, protect, and prevent the waste of underground water within its 16-county service area. HPWD is the first groundwater conservation district created in Texas.
 

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