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2008 EQIP Ground & Surface Water Information

The EQIP Ground & Surface Water (G&SW) process is statewide. Therefore, no local issues were solicited. Applicants have access to all of the applicable state or national questions listed below. The questions in the national priorities section are all equal in value with a maximum possible score of 25 (5 points each). The state issues questions have a maximum possible value of 100.

National Priorities

Each of the national questions has an equal value. Applicants have access to any of the questions that are applicable.

  • NATIONAL 1: Will the treatment you intend to implement using EQIP result in considerable reductions of non-point source pollution, such as nutrients, sediment, pesticides, excess salinity in impaired watersheds, groundwater contamination or point source contamination from confined animal feeding operations?
  • NATIONAL 2: Will the treatment you intend to implement using EQIP result in a considerable amount of ground or surface water conservation?
  • NATIONAL 3: Will the treatment you intend to implement using EQIP result in a considerable reduction of emissions, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds, and ozone precursors and depleters that contribute to air quality impairment violations of National Ambient Air Quality Standards?
  • NATIONAL 4: Will the treatment you intend to implement using EQIP result in a considerable reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable levels on agricultural land?
  • NATIONAL 5: Will the treatment you intend to implement using EQIP result in a considerable increase in the promotion of at-risk species habitat conservation?
2008 Funding Process

In 2008, Montana NRCS is using a screening tool, a priority system and ranking points to make funding selections. The screening tool will determine if application projects meet the statutory requirements of the EQIP G&SW program. If so, the screening tool will also establish a priority system whereby applications will compete for funding within each level of priority through a series of state issues ranking questions. If the application is determined to not meet the intent of the EQIP G&SW program then it is ineligible for funding consideration.

2008 Application Screening Tool and Priority Establishment

1.    Does the application consist only of the decommissioning of one or more free-flowing artesian wells OR does the application include the decommissioning of one or more free-flowing artesian wells plus only facilitating practices that will provide an alternative water source to replace the well(s) being decommissioned?

YES – Stop! The application is preapproved for funding.
NO – Continue to question 2.
 

2.    Is the water savings of this project quantifiable and is the projected water savings at least 15% of the pre-project use (that is, annual volume basis, flow rate for a period of time, critical dewatered period)?

YES – Continue to question 3.
NO – Stop! The application does not meet program intent.
 

3.    Will the project adversely impact the ground water recharge in an identified recharge area?

YES – Stop! The application does not meet program intent.
NO – Continue to question 4.
 

4.    Is the project going to be applied on an existing waterspreading system?

YES – Stop! The application does not meet program intent.
NO – Continue to question 5.
 

5.    Will the conservation plan or the EQIP contract include Irrigation Water Management (449) for on-farm irrigation projects?

YES – The application meets program intent.
NO – The application does not meet program intent.

Priority Determination
  • HIGH - G&SW Priority 1: Cap or contain free flowing Artesian wells.
  • HIGH - G&SW Priority 2: Canals or group irrigation projects where 60% or more of the operators are willing to make water conserving improvements to their irrigation systems, measuring devices are installed at the point of diversion, and an agreement is developed that guarantees water saved will remain or return to the stream/river/lake or groundwater AND the engineering survey and design work have been completed by NRCS or outside group.
  • MEDIUM - G&SW Priority 3: Canals or group irrigation projects where 60% or more of the operators are willing to make water conserving improvements to their irrigation systems, measuring devices are installed at the point of diversion, and an agreement is developed that guarantees water saved will remain or return to the stream/river/lake or groundwater AND the engineering survey and design work have NOT been completed by NRCS or outside group.
  • MEDIUM - G&SW Priority 4: Improvements to open earth irrigation conveyance systems through lining or pipeline to minimize water losses and seepage.
  • LOW - G&SW Priority 5: Irrigation improvements where the irrigation water is pumped directly out of a natural surface water source or groundwater.
  • NONE - G&SW Priority 6: Practices that provide a net savings to ground or surface water not associated through irrigation efficiency improvements, that is, pipelines and tanks associated with rural water supply systems, deferred grazing and wetland creation.
  • NONE - G&SW Priority 7: Irrigation improvements where irrigation water is derived from a canal and not directly out of a natural surface water source or ground water.
State Issues Ranking Points Questions

1.    Artesian Wells - is the well discharge known to contain, or show signs of discharging, saline water?

2.    Artesian Wells - is there a non-saline artesian well that is being capped or contained?

3.    Artesian Wells - is the artesian well being decommissioned?

4.    Will the proposed system use the existing irrigation system to bank groundwater in the early season and then irrigate efficiently in the late summer through the retro fit of additional nozzles? (Applies to high elevation hay areas only.)

5.    Will the proposed system convert a surface irrigation system to a pivot irrigation system that utilizes additional nozzles for the over-application of irrigation water in early summer and the efficient application of irrigation water after mid-summer? (Applies to high elevation hay areas only.)

6.    Will the proposed system improve on-farm irrigation efficiencies to ensure that less water is DIRECTLY pumped or diverted from a NATURAL water source, such as stream, river, or groundwater?

7.    Will the proposed system improve on-farm irrigation efficiencies to ensure that less water is NOT directly pumped or diverted from a natural water source, such as stream, river, or groundwater?

8.    Will the proposed system apply polyacrylamides to seal irrigation canals for temporary seepage control?

9.    Will the proposed system save water that will be LEASED for instream use?

10.    Will the proposed system save water that will be CONVERTED (water right change) to instream use?

11.    Will the proposed system create or restore wetlands within a floodplain?

12.    Is the water being saved from or above, and staying in, a stream reach listed as chronically dewatered by the MTFWP?

13.    Are there other entities (non-participant) supplying additional funding, leveraging, of $500 or more? (A written commitment is required.)

14.    Will the project directly aid T&E species, species of special concern, or other priority wildlife species as defined by NRCS?

Contacts

Kris Berg, Program Specialist
Phone: 406-587-6849
Email: Kris.Berg

Carrie Mosley, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs
Phone: 406-587-6967
Email: Carrie.Mosley

Last Modified: 10/09/2008

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