Time Running Out to Apply for SWEEP
State Grant Program Doling Out $40 million
Resource conservation districts, irrigation districts, land trusts, air pollution control districts; agricultural commissions, colleges, universities, and even Native American tribes have a short time left to take advantage of grants and other financial assistance for water-saving infrastructure.
The State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) provides financial assistance in the form of grants to implement irrigation systems that reduce greenhouse gases and save water on California agricultural operations. It was first developed in 2014 in response to the drought. It provides funding to organizations to then disperse to individuals, but the deadline to submit grant applications is 5 p.m. on Monday, June 19. So don't hesitate.
Up to $40 million will be made available, with the goal of developing agriculture that is resilient to the changing climate. The awards will be announced in July. Applications are made through this link.
The CDFA would prefer the funds be targeted at socially disadvantaged farmers, including Hispanics, Asian Americans, Native Americans and African Americans. The maximum award that will be given to any one entity is $5 million and the minimum is $2 million. The maximum the grant entity can then give to any one operation is $600,000 and anyone getting funds must be located in California.
Frequently asked questions are provided at this link. Typical projects would include weather, soil or plant-based sensors to improve irrigation scheduling; improvements on irrigation infrastructure; replacing diesel pumps with electric pumps; solar panel installations; and converting high-pressure sprinklers with micro and low-pressure irrigation systems.
Anyone receiving funds will have to submit to some fairly hefty reporting requirements. The funded systems will have to used and maintained for at least 10 years. For the first three years, grant beneficiaries will have collect and maintain on-farm water use records related to the project, including water bills and flow meter readings. All energy use related to the project must also be tracked, including utility bills, fuel receipts and field logs.
CDFA cannot assist in the preparation of grant applications; however, general questions may be submitted to cdfa.SWEEPTech@cdfa.ca.gov.