Imperial Irrigation Valley approves cash for water conservation program

Imperial Irrigation District, Imperial, California, approved a program that will allow farmers to apply for federal funds to compensate them for harvesting less hay. 

The program includes compensating growers with cash payments in exchange for temporarily shutting off water to their fields for up to two months this year, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. 

“The goal is to strengthen the Colorado River and ensure long-term viability and reliability,” says Tina Shields, Imperial Irrigation District water department manager. “It’s our only water supply. And we also want to keep ag in production, because that’s the bread and butter of our local economy. And we think that there’s ways to do both.” 

Farmers and owners of farm fields could be paid $300 per acre-foot for not irrigating alfalfa and other perennial feed crops for between 45 and 60 days. The program also allows farmers to earn up to $430 per acre-foot of water saved if they choose to invest in higher efficiency sprinklers, water pump back systems and other equipment for on-farm conservation, according to the Desert Sun.