Conservation Cooperation

By Bill Orendorff|September 1, 2009

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (SWFWMD) FARMS (Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management System) Program has been cooperatively working with the agricultural community since 2003 to conserve limited groundwater resources. SWFWMD recognized that the future of agriculture in southwest Florida was based on assuring an abundant, high-quality water supply.

State Of The Aquifer

The principal groundwater source for irrigation in Florida is the Upper Floridan aquifer. Although the Upper Floridan aquifer is one of the most productive aquifers in the U.S., stresses from long-term over-pumping by municipal, industrial, and agricultural users have compromised the resource. Unfortunately, these stresses have significantly lowered water levels and have been responsible in areas for induced poor-quality water to the aquifer.

According to the SWFWMD’s Water Management Information System, there are 6,395 permitted agricultural entities in the district, with a combined permitted annual average groundwater quantity of 699,485,000 gallons per day. The FARMS Program is an integral tool used to reverse the progressive impairment to the aquifer. The goal of the FARMS Program is to offset 40 million gallons per day (mgd) of groundwater within the district by 2025. To date, there are a total of 75 FARMS projects approved, with 43 in operation and the balance under construction. These projects affect more than 30,000 acres representing citrus, tomato, strawberry, blueberry, sod, nursery, and other row crop production, with a projected 13 mgd reduction in withdrawals from the Upper Floridan Aquifer.

Available Aid

The FARMS Program is based on a cost-share incentive that reimburses growers up to 50% of project costs for either water-quantity or water-quality projects. However, projects combining both water quantity and quality best management practices are eligible for a 75% reimbursement. The 75% reimbursement also applies to two other classifications of projects: 1) where the groundwater savings is calculated to be 50% or greater; and 2) those projects that are located in either of the two specially designated impacted areas — the Shell, Prairie, and Joshua Creek watersheds or the Upper Myakka River watershed. FARMS project funding is subject to fiscal year funding and is limited to tangible items such as pumps/power units, piping, filters, water control structures, and precision irrigation equipment.

Pond Projects

Most FARMS projects offset groundwater use from surface water collected in tail-water recovery ponds. Although the program does not reimburse for system design, earth moving, etc., the SWFWMD works closely with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service on projects where a producer qualifies for Environmental Quality Incentives Program payments. These ponds are located in the topographically low area of a field where they capture excess surface runoff from irrigation and rainfall.

The cost of equipment, pumps, power units, filters, and piping that returns the tailwater from the pond back to the field is shared through the FARMS Program.

Precision Irrigation

FARMS precision irrigation projects have proven to be a major groundwater conservation tool to improve irrigation efficiency and reduce withdrawals from the Upper Floridan aquifer. These electronic components, such as weather stations and soil-moisture probes, can be programmed or installed to provide the farmer with real-time data on atmospheric and soil conditions in the field to evaluate irrigation needs, respectively. Other groundwater conservation electronic equipment may include either automated power units or valves. These units are programmable; applying irrigation water during precise times and at specific field locations. The automatic features avoid applying water beyond the necessary quantities.

For More

If you have questions or would like to learn more about the FARMS program or other SWFWMD agricultural initiatives, call 941-377-3722 ext. 6529 or visit www.WaterMatters.org/agriculture and click on the FARMS link.