For Immediate Release
Contact: Elizabeth Jonasson
(559) 241-6233
Westlands Water District Secures $2M WaterSMART Grants for Conservation and Drought Resiliency
Growers are encouraged to apply
Fresno, California – Westlands Water District (District) recently secured $2 million through the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s WaterSMART Initiative (WSI). Awarded funds will be made available to District growers in the form of block grants, up to $450,000 per grower, to carry out water conservation and drought resiliency improvements, such as installing irrigation pipelines, micro-irrigation systems, reservoirs, and temporary diversion pumping plants.
“As the San Joaquin Valley continues to battle the impacts of an unreliable water supply, programs that provide access to grant funding, those like the WaterSMART Initiative, for the District’s family-owned farms are essential,” said Allison Febbo, General Manager, Westlands Water District. “The District is continually working to identify resources like the WaterSMART Initiative to assist our farmers. These resources allow our farmers to continue their hard work maximizing the beneficial use of every drop of water, through use of efficient and sustainable farming practices and substantial investment in modern irrigation technology.”
District farmers are encouraged to apply for WSI grants by contacting their local Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) office as soon as possible to determine eligibility and start an application. Potential applicants must first be cleared through the Farms Service Agency (FSA) or previously registered, then complete the NRCS process.
To be considered for a WSI block grant, willing and eligible growers must complete applications by the deadline: January 31, 2025.
The District plans to hold an outreach workshop via Zoom on October 8, from 10-11 am to discuss this funding opportunity.
Today’s announcement is in addition to the $1,808,326 in grant funding the District was awarded in August through the WaterSMART initiative to retrofit 1,603 manually read surface water meters with advanced automated metering devices. You can learn more about the WaterSMART Initiative by visiting the program website.
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About Westlands Water District
Westlands Water District is recognized as a world leader in agricultural water conservation and has served the farmers and rural communities on the west side of Fresno and Kings counties for more than five decades. As stewards of one of California’s most precious natural resources, Westlands continually invests in conservation, and champions farmers deploying innovative irrigation methods based on the best available technology.