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EQIP Program in Potter 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).

Potter County Office Information

Interested agricultural producers may apply in person at the Potter 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 Potter County:

Specific State Concern State Resource Concern
AFO-CAFO -Poultry Water Quality/Air Quality
AFO-CAFO -Swine Water Quality/Air Quality
AFO-CAFO-Beef Water Quality/Air Quality
AFO-CAFO -Dairy Water Quality/Air Quality
Salt Cedar Invasive Species
Limited Resource Farmer or Rancher All

Objective:

County Base Fund

The objective of the EQIP Local Work Group of Potter County is to promote the use of conservation practices for improving the natural resources throughout the county. Some of the major resource concerns in Potter County are Plant Health, Erosion, Water Quality and Water Quantity.

Ground and Surface Water Fund

The objective of the LWG is to promote more efficent methods of irrigation with existing irrigation pivot systems and more efficent methods of irrigation water conveyance.

County EQIP Resource Concern:

County Base

The following are resource concerns by priority as set by the Local Work Group in Potter County for 2007.

  • Priority 1 Erosion

  • Priority 2 Plant Health

    • Ground and Surface Water

    The resource concerns addressed by the Local Work Group are Water Quality and Water Quantity.

    Eligible Practices and Cost Share Rates:

    All practices will be cost-shared based on the established average cost. The amount of cost share earned will be number of units certified after completion, multiplied by the average cost.  The cost share for all practices in Potter County is 50 percent except for Limited Resource Producers. The cost share rate for Limited Resource Producers is 90 percent.

    County Base

    Eligible Practices

    Priority 1 - Erosion

    Terraces 600
    Diversion Terrace 362
    Grassed Waterway 412
    Field Borders 386
    Pasture Planting - 512
    Herbaceous Wind Barrier - 603

    Priority 2 - Plant Health

    Brush Management 314
    Wells 642
    Pumps 533
    Water Storage Facility 614
    Pipeline 516
    Fence 382
    Range Planting - 550

    Ground and Surface Water - Ogallala

    Eligible Practices

    Irrigation Pipeline 430
    Irrigation System Sprinkler LPIC 442
    Center Pivot Conversion LPIC 442
    Chemigation Valve
    Flowmeter
    Micro Irrigation System Subsurface 443

    Chemigation Valves and Flowmeters will qualify for Cost Share only when they are being installed with Irrigation Pipeline, Center Pivot Conversion, micro irrigation systems, or Sprinkler Irrigation Systems.

    Ranking Criteria:

    Potter County EQIP Ranking Criteria 2007

    Priority 1 Erosion - High

  • Terraces

    • Standard System - 55 points
    Parallel System - 65 points

  • Diversion Terrace - 50 points

  • Grassed Waterway - 50 points

    •  
  • Pasture Planting - 60 points


  • Buffers

    • Field Border - 40 points
    Herbaceous Wind Barrier - 40 points

    Priority 2 Plant Health – Medium
      
  • Brush Management

    • Brush Control
    Canopy Cover - 30 percent> - 50 points
    Canopy Cover - ll to 29 percent - 40 points
    Individual Plant Treatment will be limited to 160 ac.

  • Livestock Water

    • Wells - 45 points
    Pipeline - 45 points
    Water Storage Facility - 45 points
    Pumps - 45 points

  • Cross Fence

    • Fence (4 Wire Barbed) - 40 points

  • Range Planting - 20 points.

    • Incentive payments will be allowed for the following practices in the Electronic Field Office Technical Guide. This will only be for Resource Management Systems applied for 3 years. This will be a Low Priority.

  • Cropland – Residue Management – 329 – 10 points. Limited to 640 acres.

  • Rangeland – Prescribed Grazing – 528 – 10 points. Limited to 2500 acres.

    • Ground and Surface Water (Ogallala) Ranking Criteria
  • Center Pivot Conversion LPIC - 100 points
  • Irrigation Pipeline - 80 points
  • Micro Irrigation System Subsurface- 5 points
  • Sprinkler Irrigation System Low Pressure, In-Canopy (LPIC) 442 - 5 points
  • Flow Meters - 5 points

    • • Chemigation Valves - 5 points

    Sprinkler Irrigation Systems & Micro Irrigation Systems are Low Priority.

    Chemigation Valves and Flowmeters will qualify for Cost Share only when they are being installed with Irrigation Pipeline or Center Pivot Conversion.