NRCS water proposal

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Idaho is seeking proposals to expand the number of eligible watersheds enrolled as Source Water Protection Priority Areas under in the Environmental Quality Incentive Program for Fiscal Year 2027. The deadline for proposals is Friday, August 14. Those wishing to propose new or expanded watersheds should work with their local NRCS field office to draft and submit those proposals.

Source water refers to sources of water (such as rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and groundwater) that provide water to public drinking water supplies and private wells. Source water protection includes a wide variety of actions and activities aimed at safeguarding, maintaining, or improving the quality and/or quantity of sources of drinking water and their contributing areas.

Section 1244(n) of the Food Security Act of 1985 provides that the Secretary of Agriculture must encourage the protection of drinking water sources by:

Identifying local priority areas for drinking water protection in each state by collaborating with state technical advisory committees (STAC), community water systems, and the state drinking water agency

Providing increased incentives for practices related to water quality and quantity and protecting drinking water sources while also benefitting producers

Dedicating at least 10 percent of the total funds for conservation programs (except the Conservation Reserve Program) to source water protection each year