Through NRCS’s EQIP WaterSMART Initiative, we collaborate with the Bureau of Reclamation to coordinate investments in priority areas for improving our cumulative impact in water conservation and drought resilience.
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Oregon's FY26 WaterSMART Funding
The following information reflects Fiscal Year 2026 WaterSMART funding for Oregon farmers, ranchers and forest land owners. Applicants will be ranked against the following information. Reach out to your local USDA Service Center to learn more and apply.
Land Uses
- Crop
- Pasture
- Range
- Forest
- AAL
- Farmstead
- Water
Program Questions
- On the CPA-1200 did the participant self-certify as BFR or SDFR?
- Will the producer be a first-time adopter of any conservation practice(s) included in the contract?
- East Fork Irrigation District WaterSMART
Resource Concerns: Source water depletion - Inefficient irrigation water use, surface water depletion
Conservation Practices: 430, 441, 442, 449, 533, 587
Ranking Questions:
1. Will the planning criteria for one of the four primary water resource concerns identified in exhibit NI-440-307.35 WaterSMART initiative (SWI) be met on one or more PLUs in the application?
2. What is the estimated water savings for the project?
a) the proposed project shows an efficiency improvement of 30% or greater
b) the proposed project shows as efficiency improvement of 15% or greater
c) the proposed project shows an efficiency improvement of less than %
3. What level of Irrigation Water Management is the applicant willing to adopt?
a) Advanced irrigation water management
b) Intermediate irrigation water management
c) Basic irrigation water management
4. With the completion of the offered project in this application, will the entire operation for this applicant be upgraded? "
5. If you are applying for a variable frequency drive pump, have you already received the pump curve report to match it with the drive for upmost efficiency?
6. If you are applying for a variable frequency drive, are you working with the co-op to utilize their funds for upgrading?
- Middle Fork Irrigation District WaterSMART
Resource Concerns: Source water depletion - Inefficient irrigation water use, surface water depletion
Conservation Practices: 430, 441, 442, 449, 587
Ranking Questions:
1. Will the planning criteria for one of the four primary water resource concerns identified in exhibit NI-440-307.35 WaterSMART initiative (SWI) be met on one or more PLUs in the application?
2. Has the applicant previously done any irrigation system upgrades to property within the MFID boundary on their own funding?
3. Will the irrigation efficiency improvement gained by the proposed project show a 20% or more gain using the NRCS Irrigation Water Savings Estimator?
4. Is the applicant willing to work with the SWCD and OSU to adopt a higher than "basic" level of Irrigation Water Management?
5. Will the contract be no longer than 3 years in length?
6. Is this proposed project for Irrigation Water Management only, with no upgrades to the irrigation system?- Vale Oregon Irrigation District WaterSMART
Resource Concerns: Field sediment nutrient and pathogen loss - Nutrients transported to groundwater, Nutrients transported to surface water, Sediment transported to surface water; Soil Quality Limitations - Soil organism habitat loss or degradation; Source Water Depletion - Inefficient irrigation water use
Conservation Practices: 327, 328, 329, 340, 345, 386, 430, 441, 442, 449, 533, 587, 590
Ranking Questions:
1. Using the Malheur/Owyhee Tool for Phosphorous (P) reduction, the lbs P/acre reduction from the planned practices will be:
a) lbs P/acre reduction greater than or equal to 3.25
b) lbs P/acre reduction between 2.75 and 3.24
c) lbs P/acre reduction between 2.0 and 2.74
d) lbs P/acre reduction less than 2.0
2. Using the Irrigation Water Savings Estimator Tool, what percent annual water savings will result from the planned practices or from an irrigation system that has been installed within the previous 5 years?
a) Annual water savings of 30% or greater
b) Annual water savings of 20-29%
c) Annual water savings of 19% or less
3) Is the applicant currently working with the local partner to install a complimentary project that increases the magnitude of conservation benefits or improves existing conservation practices or systems that are already in place.
4) Will the conservation treatment include one or more of the following practices: 329, 340, 345, 386, 449 and/or 590?
Ready to get started?
Contact your local service center to start your application.
How to Get Assistance
Do you farm or ranch and want to make improvements to the land that you own or lease?
Natural Resources Conservation Service offers technical and financial assistance to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners.
To get started with NRCS, we recommend you stop by your local NRCS field office. We’ll discuss your vision for your land.
NRCS provides landowners with free technical assistance, or advice, for their land. Common technical assistance includes: resource assessment, practice design and resource monitoring. Your conservation planner will help you determine if financial assistance is right for you.
We’ll walk you through the application process. To get started on applying for financial assistance, we’ll work with you:
- To fill out an AD 1026, which ensures a conservation plan is in place before lands with highly erodible soils are farmed. It also ensures that identified wetland areas are protected.
- To meet other eligibility certifications.
Once complete, we’ll work with you on the application, or CPA 1200.
Applications for most programs are accepted on a continuous basis, but they’re considered for funding in different ranking periods. Be sure to ask your local NRCS district conservationist about the deadline for the ranking period to ensure you turn in your application in time.
As part of the application process, we’ll check to see if you are eligible. To do this, you’ll need to bring:
- An official tax ID (Social Security number or an employer ID)
- A property deed or lease agreement to show you have control of the property; and
- A farm number.
If you don’t have a farm number, you can get one from USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Typically, the local FSA office is located in the same building as the local NRCS office. You only need a farm number if you’re interested in financial assistance.
NRCS will take a look at the applications and rank them according to local resource concerns, the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide and the needs of applicants. View Application Ranking Dates by State.
If you’re selected, you can choose whether to sign the contract for the work to be done.
Once you sign the contract, you’ll be provided standards and specifications for completing the practice or practices, and then you will have a specified amount of time to implement. Once the work is implemented and inspected, you’ll be paid the rate of compensation for the work if it meets NRCS standards and specifications.