EQIP Program in Hutchinson County

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) offers cost share assistance to agricultural producers to implement on-farm conservation practices.  The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) determines eligible producers for the EQIP program and determines eligible land.  Eligible producers may apply for cost share assistance on conservation practices that will address the identified resource concern identified by the Local Work Group (LWG).

Hutchinson County Office Information

Interested agricultural producers may apply in person at the Hutchinson County USDA Service Center. Applicants may also request EQIP assistance by telephone, Fax, e-mail, or letter.

State Resource Concerns Priority Areas that include part of Hutchinson County:

Objective:

Base Fund Allocation
The objective of the Hutchinson County Environmental Quality Incentives Program Local Work Group is to promote the use of conservation practices for improving the natural resources throughout the county with the major emphasis on erosion and plant health.

Ground and Surface Water Conservation Fund Allocation
The objective of the Hutchinson County EQIP LWG is to promote the use of conservation practices that conserve ground and surface water and promote the wise and efficient use of ground and surface water by producers.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

Base Fund Allocation In Hutchinson County, the LWG has identified erosion and plant health as the major resource concerns.

GSWC Fund Allocation The Hutchinson County LWG identified water quantity as the major resource concern for GSWC funding.

Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

Regular participants and beginning farmers and ranchers will receive the same cost share rates. Limited resource producers will receive 90 percent cost share for all practices funded in the base and GSWC funds. Practices will be cost shared based on the established average cost of the practice. The amount of cost share earned will be calculated using the number of units certified after completion multiplied by the average cost multiplied by the cost share percentage. Cost sharing will be allowed for the practices listed below as identified in the Field Office Technical Guide.

1. Base Fund Allocation Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates

A. Erosion All practices cost shared at 50 percent.
Grassed Waterway 412
Diversion 362
Terrace 600
Underground Outlet 620
Conservation Cover 327
Pasture and Hayland Planting 512
Range Planting 550
Windbreak Establishment

B. Plant Health All practices cost shared at 50 percent
Water Well 642
Pipeline 516
Watering Facility 614
Pumping Plant 533
Brush Management 314
Fence 382

C. Water Quantity

Irrigation Water Management, Installation of Flow Meter 449 Incentive Payment. 100 percent flat rate incentive. 

Conservation Crop Rotation Dryland Conversion 328 Incentive Payment. In order for an application for Conservation Crop Rotation Dryland Conversion Incentive Payment to be eligible the land must have been row water irrigated in 2006 and meet the 3 gpm/acre requirement. There is a 320 acre limit per application for the Dryland Conversion Incentive Payment

Irrigation System Sprinkler LPIC 442. This practice will be used for the installation of a new center pivot irrigation system when converting from a surface irrigation system to a center pivot sprinkler irrigation system. 50 percent cost share.

Irrigation Water Conveyance Pipeline Low Pressure, Underground, Plastic 430EE. This practice will be used for the installation of new irrigation pipeline to a new non cot shared center pivot irrigation system, to a cost shared center pivot irrigation system, and to a cost shared trickle irrigation system 50 percent cost share.


Irrigation System Trickle 441. This practice will be used for installation a new trickle irrigation system. 50 percent cost share.

Irrigation System, Sprinkler LPIC Conversion 442.  This practice will be used for converting existing nozzle system to a Low Pressure In Canopy nozzle system that is more efficient. Practice cost share rate is set at 50 percent.

Ranking Criteria:

Cross Fencing for land complicated by severe erosion and/or plant health - 90 points.
Grassed waterway, diversion, terrace, underground outlet - 80 points.
Conservation cover, pasture and hayland planting, range planting - 70 points.
Brush control saltcedar - 60 points.
Brush control mesquite - 50 points.
Brush control prickly pear, sage, broom snakeweed, yucca - 40 points.
Water well, pipeline, watering facility, pumping plants - 30 points.
Fence - 20 points.
Windbreak - 10 points.
Water Quantity Conservation Crop Rotation Dryland Conversion - 5 points

Ranking criteria and the resulting score is based solely on the type of conversion being installed.

Irrigation pipeline to a new non cost shared center pivot 150 points.
Irrigation system, LPIC conversion 140 points.
Replacement of leaky irrigation pipeline 130 points
Conversion from furrow irrigation to sprinkler irrigation 120points.
Conversion from surface irrigation to trickle irrigation 110 points.
Irrigation pipeline for a surface irrigation system 100 points.

Practices not mentioned above are not eligible for cost share or incentive payments.