Water Management Entities- Colorado
The NRCS provides financial and technical assistance to water management entity's with the purpose of assisting private agricultural producers manage water distribution systems.
FY-24 Ranking Information
NRCS and WME Projects
The NRCS defines eligible water management entities as state irrigation districts, ground water management districts, acequias, land grant-merced or similar, that have jurisdiction or responsibilities related to water delivery or management to eligible lands. The organization must also have effective control of impacted land and be classified by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) as business type 3, 4, 9, 10, or 22.
The NRCS water management entity EQIP enrollment criteria includes:
- The water management entity is a public or semi-public agency or organization (meaning a private or public company that serves a public purpose such as a public utility); and
- The water management entity purpose is to assist private agricultural producers with managing water distribution systems.
NRCS may also approve an EQIP contract with a water management entity when such contract is pursuant to a watershed-wide project of the water management entity that effectively conserves water using the following criteria:
- The project has a current, comprehensive water resource assessment; and
- The project plan incorporates one or more of the following practices:
- Water conservation scheduling and if applicable, distribution efficiency, soil moisture monitoring;
- Irrigation-related structural or other measures that conserve surface or ground water, including aquifer recover practices; or
- A transition to water-conserving crops, water-conserving crop rotations, or deficit irrigation.