U.S. Dept. of AgricultureNatural Resources 

Conservation Service

Presented ByGreg Norris, P.E.

USDA-NRCSDavis, CA

The NRCS Mission

•To conserve, protect and enhance natural resources for sustained use. To achieve non-degradation of the natural resources.

THIS FARM HAS ACONSERVATION PLAN

The effectiveness of these plans depends upon doing quality work in planning, designing and installation….

Understanding what the customer needs

to succeed!

The conservation plan is the basis for determining the work needed to be done.

Soil Erosion – Surface Water Quality, Soil/Plant health

Irrigation Efficiency –Minimize Water Use and Maximize Availability 

SOIL & PLANT HEALTH‐Minimizes Erosion, Maximizes Plant Productivity

Cover Crops

• Practice  Standards & Specifications are in the Field Office Technical Guide

NRCS Programs

•Conservation Technical Assistance •Soils Survey•Snow Survey•Farm Bill Financial Assistance

Conservation Technical Assistance(On-Farm/Program Neutral)

NRCS helps agricultural producers develop & implement conservation plans that protect, conserve, and enhance the resources and meet the client’s needs.

• NRCS conducts Soils Surveys and makes  Data available for resource planners• Web Soil Survey• Soil Survey App

SOIL SURVEY

Web Soil SurveySoil Survey App

Snow Survey

SNOTEL Sites send snow data automatically to WS Forecasters

West-wide including Alaska the NRCS

operates ~860 SNOTEL stations

37 SNOTELS inSierra Nevada

and NE California

SCAN Sites (Soil Climate Analysis Network)

15 stations in California.

NRCS Interactive Map

Period of record data for all DWR‐CDEC snow pillows and snow courses are available

https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/webmap/index.html

Gives a nice visual display of:– Current data– Records – Delta (change in SWE between dates)

– Water Year Peak– Date of Water Year Peak

FARM BILL PROGRAMS

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM

(EQIP)

What is EQIP• One of the conservation programs of the Farm Bill• Provides financial assistance to producers to apply conservation practices

During 2015/2016/2017, NRCS provided a total of about $70M to ag producers to install irrigation systems and irrigation pipelines that meet NRCS standards

441‐ Micro Irrigation System442‐Sprinkler irrigation System430‐ Irrigation Pipeline 

Why NRCS offers EQIP

Help producers get better control over their irrigations to: • Reduce water loss• Reduce fertilizer, pesticides and sediment leaving the field

• Have more flexibility to respond to interruptions in water supply (i.e. drought)

• Possibly reduce energy consumption

How EQIP works• Land must be currently irrigated

•Funds typically pay for about half the cost of installing a practice

•Funds are competitive, projects with the greatest environmental benefit are given priority

Program Benefits•Producers are installing more irrigation improvements (Assist about 2,000 Ag producers each year in CA with irrigation)

•Ensures high quality through NRCS participation –Practice Standards

•Promotes conservation of California’s water resources.

RECENT USDA/NRCS UPDATESLast year, NRCS was reorganized into a new USDA branch. Formerly under the Natural Resources and Environment branch with the Forest Service, NRCS is now under the Farm Production and Conservation branch with the Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency. Our new Undersecretary is Bill Northey.

NRCSFSARMA

FARM PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION

(FPAC)

NRCSUSFS

NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT

The FPAC focus has been to improve customer service to agricultural producers.

Elimination of the DUNS number requirements for ag producers only.

Streamlining program application process and evaluation.

RECENT USDA/NRCS UPDATES

TECHNICAL SERVICE PROVIDERS (TSPs)

• NRCS wants to expand the use of private companies/individuals to help get work done through the TSP program

• Irrigation Specialists must go through a certification process to become a TSP

• Once certified, TSPs act as agents of NRCS in planning designing and certifying projects.

TSP PAYMENT RATES LOOKUP

Two key things required to irrigate efficiently:

1. An efficient irrigation system

2. Good irrigation scheduling (timing and amount) decisions, “Management”

THANK YOU!