The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) announced it is accepting applications for cost-share projects to develop alternative water supply projects and water conservation projects. This is part of the state of Florida’s continuing efforts to identify and implement cost-effective strategies to protect its water resources while meeting Florida’s water needs. Partnering with local governments and other entities for implementation …
Alabama Irrigation Questionnaires are Due January 31
The Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries (ADAI) continues to encourage producers who performed agriculture irrigation upgrades in the 2020 calendar year to complete the required irrigation questionnaire. While ADAI is responsible for collecting completed irrigation questionnaires from producers seeking a tax credit in 2020, the Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR) will issue any irrigation tax credits to eligible applicants. …
Senate Environmental Panel to Look at ‘Resiliency’
(NSF) — With calls growing for lawmakers to pay more attention to climate change, the state Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection and the chief resiliency officer position are slated to be reviewed Monday by the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. The resiliency officer position is among the duties of Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein, who has …
Supreme Court Set to Hear Water Battle
(NSF) — After years of battling between Florida and Georgia, the U.S. Supreme Court next month will again take up a dispute about water in a river system that links the two states. The Supreme Court last week scheduled oral arguments Feb. 22 in the case about divvying up water in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system, which stretches from northern Georgia …
Groups Praise WRDA Passage in COVID Relief Bill
The fiscal year appropriations bill that President Trump signed includes a reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The Hagstrom Report says it funds the Army Corps of Engineers civil works program that builds and maintains the ports and inland waterways that are vital to the agriculture industry. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa says, “it’s important that Congress pass …
Inspect Center Pivot Irrigation Systems Now to Prevent Issues Later
By Cale Cloud, David Hall for CAES News Now is a good time to winterize and perform some preventive maintenance on center pivot irrigation systems. Irrigation system maintenance during the winter months is very important because it can ensure a system’s longevity, and regular maintenance can also potentially reduce the risk of experiencing downtime at critical crop stages during the …
Commissioner Nikki Fried on Florida Seizing Wetlands Permitting From EPA
(FDACS) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed an agreement granting Florida authority to issue construction permits in protected wetlands, an authority previously handled for many years by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA. In the 43 years since states were allowed to seek wetland permitting authority, only two had requests approved, and none since 1994. Both of …
Conservation Efforts Continue on Florida’s Farms, Ranches Amid Pandemic
(USDA/NRCS/FL) — USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida continued its conservation work across the state despite a year marked with a pandemic and natural disasters. The agency helped farmers, ranchers and forest landowners implement conservation practices to help conserve natural resources and boost their bottom lines. Additionally, NRCS launched new online tools that increased the efficiency, effectiveness and delivery of crucial …
USDA Updates Conservation Standards
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recently completed and published updates to its set of National Conservation Practice Standards, which include 58 standards that have been updated or revised since August. According to Acting NRCS Chief, Kevin Norton, those standards cover a wide range of practices including irrigation water management. He notes that USDA’s conservation efforts include a …
What’s Happening on America’s Lands, Soils, and Waters?
(USDA/NRCS) — NRCS You may be curious about what’s happening on the lands across the United States over time. If we didn’t have the data collection of the National Resources Inventory (NRI), we could only guess. NRI collects data on natural resources, soil and water conservation practices, irrigation, and many other farming practices so we can not only know what …