The Freshwater Trust (TFT) has expanded its innovative agreement with the Oregon Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a division of the USDA, to recruit, design, and develop a large queue of priority projects identified by precision analytics into shovel-ready irrigation upgrade projects.
In 2023, TFT provided Oregon NRCS staff with quantifiable assessments of potential irrigation upgrade actions in three eastern Oregon watersheds that could effectively reduce nutrient and sediment runoff to protect water quality, while also providing farmers greater resilience to the impacts of drought. To do this work, TFT used its BasinScout® toolkit, a modeling system that identifies high-impact and feasible irrigation upgrade practices.
This insight provides NRCS staff and regional partners with the detailed information they need to prioritize and pursue projects that create the greatest environmental benefits for the lowest cost.
“With this insight in place, the next logical step is to bolster NRCS and partner capacity to get these priority projects funded and implemented,” said Damon Brosnan, Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations, Oregon NRCS.
With its unique blend of analytics and on-the-ground program design and delivery, TFT has signed a Technical Assistance (TA) Agreement with Oregon NRCS to support the agency in recruiting, designing, and moving many of the potential priority projects through NRCS’ rigorous screening, design and compliance processes. TFT will be working closely with regional irrigation suppliers, certified technical service providers (TSPs), and certified archaeologists to develop bundles of projects for more rapid and efficient NRCS review.
Next Steps for Strategic Conservation in the Snake River Watershed
TFT is well-positioned to provide these services to Oregon NRCS in eastern Oregon because of its central role launching and driving a broader Snake River coordinated funding initiative. This initiative, which is anchored by a $5.6 million grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency, aims to secure and deliver approximately $100–200 million to priority irrigation projects in the Snake to help solve a major regional methylmercury challenge. In pursuit of this goal, TFT continues to work with regional partners to strategically improve the health of the Snake River watershed. Recently:
- TFT submitted proposals totaling $58 million to the NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to fund conversion to precision irrigation systems in the Owyhee (OR), Payette (ID), Weiser (ID), and Lower Boise (ID) subbasins. These proposals were not funded in 2024 but we plan to resubmit in the next cycle.
- TFT continues its work supporting Idaho Power Company in developing its mercury management plan for the Snake River that will drive significant new leveraged funding to irrigation upgrades that reduce or eliminate phosphorus runoff from agricultural fields.
“We are excited to see multiple programs come together in the Snake River watershed,” said Brett Dumas, Director of Environmental Affairs at Idaho Power Company.
“Solving such a significant natural resource concern at this scale requires exactly this kind of coordinated data-driven funding and implementation effort.”
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