USDA announces more than $9 million to address water resources issues

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced 14 grants totaling more than $9 million to help solve critical water problems in rural and agricultural watersheds across the United States. The grants are funded through the Water for Agriculture Challenge Area of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.

“Food, water, climate, energy, and environmental issues are all linked together, which is why we invest in multi-level approaches to water management solutions,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. “These solutions will improve water resource quantity and quality for America’s agricultural systems and also inform decision makers and citizens alike.”

The Water for Agriculture Challenge Area aims to address critical water resources issues such as drought, excess soil moisture, flooding, quality and quantity, and other water issues within an agricultural context.

Grants being announced are listed by description and state.

Water for Agriculture Coordinated Agricultural Projects

University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, $2,000,000
Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, $2,192,992
Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, Texas, $1,383,497

Understanding Decisions and Behaviors Connected with Agriculture and Post-harvest Processing Industry Water Use

University of California, Berkeley, California, $463,338
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, $462,499
University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, $458,043
University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, $462,539
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, $453,539

Understanding the Human Health Impacts to Exposure from Nontraditional Water Used in Agriculture

University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, $406,907
University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, $463,338
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, $499,999
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada, $495,692
University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, $499,617
Utah State University, Logan, Utah, $500,000

Project details can be found at the NIFA website.

Among the grants, a University of Montana project will improve the efficacy of climate information for water use through developing, testing, and institutionalizing new tools for producers. A University of Florida project will ensure economic sustainability of agriculture and silviculture in Northern Florida and Southern Georgia while protecting the water quantity, quality, and habitat in the Upper Floridian Aquifer.

Since 2014, NIFA has awarded nearly $42 million through the Water for Agriculture Challenge Area. Previously funded projects include a University of Nevada project dedicated to enhancing climate resiliency and agriculture on tribal land. A Clemson University project is focused on developing a near real-time drought forecasting model that would help farmers anywhere in the United States.