The Biden administration plans to pay farmers to conserve water as the western US region faces a historic drought.
The USDA announced Thursday that it will give up to $400 million to farmers in 11 states to reduce their water consumption while continuing to produce crops.
The measure is expected to save up to 50,000 acre-feet, or about 16 billion gallons of water.
“Agricultural producers are the backbone of rural communities across the West, many of whom are struggling with extended drought,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a written statement.
“We want to expand the tools available to farmers so they can continue to farm, while also encouraging voluntary water conservation and expanding the market for water-efficient products,” he said.
The department will provide up to $15 million to each of 18 water districts, which will then enter into agreements with farmers to help them use water-saving technologies and agricultural practices and produce water-efficient products.
Water districts preliminarily selected to participate in the program include Idaho, Utah, Oregon, California, Washington, New Mexico, Wyoming, Texas, Montana, Colorado and parts of Nevada.
The West has recently experienced water shortages linked to both historic droughts and an oversupply of water from the Colorado River. These problems are exacerbated by the production of water-intensive crops such as alfalfa and by climate change.
