CDFA’s State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) was created to provide financial incentives for agricultural operations to invest in irrigation systems that save water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Eligible system components include soil moisture monitoring, drip systems, switching to low pressure irrigation systems, pump retrofits, variable frequency drives, and installation of renewable energy to reduce on-farm water use and energy.
Over the life of the program, SWEEP has made grant awards to 828 projects covering more than 134,000 acres. $80.5 million has been awarded to date, with more than $50.1 million in matching funds. Water savings are estimated to be 37.5 billion gallons annually, enough to fill 70,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.