Farmers and ranchers in the Delta interested in receiving financial incentives to reduce their water use and protect wildlife and water quality can now apply to participate in the Delta Drought Response Pilot Program launched by the State of California.
CDFA’s sister agency, the Department of Water Resources, is partnering with the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy, as well as the Office of the Delta Watermaster and The Nature Conservancy to announce the launch of a second phase of the Delta Drought Response Pilot Program with an additional $10.7 million in grant funding available to farmers implementing conservation measures. The Delta Conservancy will conduct the 2023 program through a reverse auction.
The goals of the 2023 Program are to reduce drought stress in the Delta watershed by incentivizing agricultural water users to incorporate practices into their operations that:
- Conserve water on a net basis during water year 2023
- Protect Delta water quality by providing an added buffer against salinity intrusion
- Promote soil health
- Mitigate potential drought impacts on fish and migratory birds
Participation in the Program requires interested individual agricultural water users to submit bids. Bids for the Program are due at 5 p.m. PT on October 18, 2022. Bid submission through Delta Conservancy’s online form must be fully completed by 5 p.m. PT on the due date.
Click here to view the Solicitation Summary (program details)
Click here for the Application Form
Background Information
The Delta Drought Response Pilot Program was first launched in January 2022. More than 8,700 acres were enrolled in the first round of the Program. DWR allocated an additional $10.7 million for grants thanks to the Budget Act of 2022, allowing the Program to start a second phase. By rigorously monitoring the outcomes and impacts of a variety of actions in different settings throughout the Legal Delta, the Program provides data to support targeted water conservation/quality protection responses during sustained and/or future droughts.