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State Assistance Programs Affecting Ponds. Pond Development Workshops November/December 2010. Ag Water Resources Assistance Program ( AgWRAP ). Newly proposed cost share program in response to HB 1748 from the 2010 Legislative Session
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State Assistance Programs Affecting Ponds Pond Development Workshops November/December 2010
Ag Water Resources Assistance Program (AgWRAP) • Newly proposed cost share program in response to HB 1748 from the 2010 Legislative Session • Focus on developing and enhancing agricultural water resources • Ponds, wells, water capture/reuse, water use efficiency are examples • Plan presented to the Leg. Study Commission on Water and Wastewater Infrastructure on Nov. 1 • Stay tuned
NC Agriculture Cost Share Prog. • Established in 1984 to reduce agricultural nonpoint source impacts on water quality • 60+ practices eligible for funding (5 categories) • Erosion/nutrient reduction practices • Sediment/nutrient reduction practices • Animal waste management practices • Stream protection systems • Agrichemical pollution prevention practices • Apply through local soil and water conservation districts • Cost share rate • Typically up to 75% cost share • Up to 90% if qualify as beginning farmer, limited resource farmer, or participant in Enhanced Voluntary Ag District
Funding for Ponds • Presently funding for ponds is limited • Renovation of existing agricultural ponds • Sediment basins • Agricultural water supply pond (drought response only) • Must be sited to provide benefit for water quality
Agricultural Pond Restoration/Repair • Renovation of leaking/damaged dams, spillways, and overflow pipes • capped at $15,000 + $12,000 for professional engineer support, if needed • Removal of accumulated sediment • capped at $3,000 • Pond must be a low Hazard-class pond • Since July 2008, contracts approved for 168 pond restoration projects (mostly sediment removal)
Sediment Basin • Constructed to trap and store waterborne sediment • Can only be used where physical conditions or land ownership preclude treatment of a sediment source by the installation of other erosion control measures to improve water quality. • Sized based upon needed sediment trapping, not water supply need, but can be expanded without cost share • Water supply need is not adequate justification for this practice • Since July 2008, 1 contract approved
Agricultural Water Supply Pond • Construct agricultural ponds for water supply for existing irrigation or livestock watering requirements (not expansion of the operation) • Capped at $15,000 + $12,000 for professional engineer support, if needed • Limited to funding under the Agricultural Drought Response Project • Contracts approved for 3 ponds since July 2008 • Potential to be funded under proposed AgWRAP
Other Water Resource Practices Wells • for pasture-based livestock (stream protection) • for irrigation (drought only) • for confined livestock (drought only)
Conservation Irrigation • Micro-irrigation conversion • Conservation irrigation retrofit • High-pressure to low pressure • Travelling gun to center pivot
Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) • Partnership between USDA-NRCS and Division of Soil and Water Conservation • Assist conversion to more efficient irrigation methods • Micro-irrigation • Conversion of Center pivots/lateral moves to low-pressure/drop nozzles • Conversion of traveling gun systems to center pivots with low pressure/drop nozzles • Apply in local soil and water conservation district in Spring 2011