Everyone has heard of the conservation programs that FSA and NRCS offer. And you probably know that the Republican River Water Conservation District offers supplemental contracts for each of these programs. But have you looked into what you could be paid from entering into a contract with either of these programs?

FSA offers the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which requires the permanent retirement of the irrigation but allows for the well to be downsized for domestic/livestock use. The CREP program requires the well owner to revegetate the formerly irrigated land to native grasses and the acres cannot be dryland farmed or grazed for the 15 years of the contract.

FSA pays a different rate in each county in the RRWCD. This rate is evaluated each year by reviewing the data collected by the National Agricultural Statistic Services. NASS sends our surveys that well owners fill out and return. NASS evaluates this data and FSA uses this information for setting the annual rental rate for CREP payments in each county.

For 2021, FSA will pay the following rate per county. This rate is paid every year of the 15-year term of the contract: Kit Carson, $130/irrigated acre; Lincoln, $181/irrigated acre; Logan, $153/irrigated acre; Phillips, $188/irrigated acre; Sedgwick, $178/irrigated acre; Washington, $201/irrigated acre; Yuma, $231/irrigated acre.

The RRWCD offers a supplemental contract for the CREP program. This annual rate is based on where your well is located, i.e .: within the South Fork Focus Zone or within one mile of the live stream flow of the North Fork or South Fork Republican rivers or the Arikaree river or if your well is outside of these areas. The CREP program does allow you to downsize your well for domestic/livestock use.

If you are interested in dryland farming your property, you should look into the Environmental Quality Incentives Program offered by NRCS. The EQIP program requires you permanently retire the irrigation, but you can dryland farm or graze the formerly irrigated acres and this program also allows you to downsize your well for domestic/livestock use.

The rate per acre for the EQIP Incentives contracts has not been announced yet. Each year the NRCS sets the rate that will be paid on EQIP contracts, no matter where your well is located in the basin. The RRWCD offers a supplemental contract for EQIP and this rate is also based on the location of the well, similar to the CREP program.

If you are interested in the EQIP program you should contact your local NRCS office now and get your application started. Once the rate for the 2021 EQIP Incentive contracts has been announced, you can decide if you want to continue the application process or withdraw your application.

Now is the time to inquire about the total payments you could receive through the CREP or EQIP programs.

For more information about these programs, contact your county local FSA or NRCS office or contact Deb Daniel, RRWCD General Manager at (970) 332-3552.