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 Antelope




Texas Coastal Irrigation Area, FY 2007

Objective:

Irrigation on the Coastal Prairie is primarily used to grow rice. Other uses include a variety of agronomic crops, such as grain sorghum, cotton, corn, and soybeans. Turf grass farms, pastures, and orchards are also irrigated. In some areas, there is an organized system to provide surface water to farms. The rest depend on groundwater availability. Improving the efficiency of irrigation systems conserves water.

Resource Concern:

Primary Resource Concern – Water Quantity
Water management for irrigated land- Inefficient or untimely utilization of irrigation water

Primary Area of Concern:

  • Austin
  • Brazoria
  • Calhoun
  • Chambers
  • Colorado
  • Fort Bend
  • Galveston
  • Hardin
  • Harris
  • Jackson
  • Jefferson
  • Lavaca
  • Liberty
  • Matagorda
  • Orange
  • Victoria
  • Waller
  • Wharton
    		•

    Eligible Practices:

    Conservation Practices will be cost-shared based on the established average-cost of the practice. The amount of cost-share earned will be 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 following practices as identified in the Electronic Field Office Technical Guide.
    • Irrigation Water Conveyance, High Pressure underground Plastic Pipeline (430DD)
    • Irrigation Water Conveyance, Low Pressure underground Plastic Pipeline (430EE)
    • Irrigation Land Leveling (464)
    • Structure for Water Control (587)

    All practices will be installed according to the applicable standard and specification in the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG). Structure for Water Control (587) for use in a Multiple Inlet system will be installed in a ditch or canal that meets the requirements of the standard for Irrigation Field Ditch, 388. Irrigation Field Ditch, 388, will not be cost shared as a separate practice. The practice description for Structure for Water Control will include the Irrigation Field Ditch. Structure for Water Control (587) in conjunction with Irrigation Land Leveling will be installed as a single structure in a permanent levee.

  • Incentive Payment Levels


    • Applicants who are signing up for multiple inlets (either with a pipeline or field ditch) in conjunction with land leveling will be eligible for a one time incentive payment. This incentive payment will be for Irrigation Water Management (IWM) for the crop planted after installation of the multiple inlets. This incentive payment will be $ 10.00 per acre.

  • Irrigation Water Management; (Acre) (449)
    • $10 per acre FR

    Applicants who are signing up for Residue Management Mulch Till Incentive would reduce the tillage operations for seedbed preparation by using chemicals to remove vegetation in the spring prior to planting operations. An SCI value greater than 0.2 would be required. This incentive payment will be $ 10.00 per acre for up to three years.
     

  • Residue Management Mulch Till (Acre) (345) - $10 per acre FR

    • Screening Process:

    The resource concern, Water Quantity, is applicable only on irrigated land that meets the irrigation history rule. ( The field has to have been irrigated two out of the last five years.)

    The Application Screening Process will be completed with the person making the application. The screening process will place the application in a Category - High, - Medium and - Low. All Category - High applications will be ranked. If funds are available after approving all of these, then all of the applications in the next category will be ranked, etc. until enough applications are ranked to utilize the funds available.

    If the application falls into two or more categories, then the application will be placed in the lowest identified priority category.
     
    A field is defined as the area that is irrigated as a single management unit.  A field irrigated under any type of sprinkler system is not eligible for
    Irrigation Land Leveling (464).

    Name_______________________________________
    Field Number___________ Tract Number__________
    Application No.__________________ Date_________________

    All conditions must apply for each category. If the application falls into two or more categories, then the application will be placed in the lowest identified priority category. Land must have been irrigated two of the last five years to be eligible.

    Category Criteria
  • This farm is located in one of the above counties. The applicant irrigates rice or row crops on the field(s) to be treated rice and the field(s) meet the required irrigation history.  The applicant is applying for Irrigation Land Leveling OR Irrigation Pipeline OR Structure For Water Control in a Multiple Inlet System.
    		•  High
  • This farm is located in one of the above counties.  The applicant irrigates rice or rice in rotation with row crops on the field(s) to be treated and the field(s) meet the required irrigation history. The applicant is applying for an Incentive Payment only.
    		•  Medium
  • This farm is located in one of the above counties. The applicant irrigates, turf grass, orchards and/or pasture only on the field(s) to be treated and the field(s) meet the required irrigation history.
    		•  Low
    Once the application is screened and identified to be in a specific category, the applications in the highest category will be evaluated and ranked.

    Local Ranking Criteria:

    Local Questions:
    1. Are You Willing to Install Irrigation Land Leveling (464)?
    2. Are You Willing to Install Irrigation Pipelines (430)?
    3. Are You Willing to Install a Multiple Inlet System (587)?
    4. Are You Applying for a Residue Management Seasonal (Stale Seedbed) Incentive?
    5. Are You Applying for an Irrigation Water Management Incentive?