Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP)

The Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) is a voluntary conservation initiative that enables the use of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) along with resources of eligible partners to provide financial and technical assistance to owners and operators of agricultural lands.

Eligible producers who participate in a project area identified in an approved partner agreement, and have an active application EQIP program application, may be approved for assistance.

Program Description

NRCS will make Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funds available to owners and operators of agricultural lands who participate in approved AWEP project areas.

As authorized by Congress, this is not a grant program to eligible partners. This is a program whereby approved, eligible partners will enter into multi-year agreements with NRCS to promote ground and surface water conservation, or improve water quality on eligible agricultural lands.

The intent of AWEP is for the Federal government to leverage investment in natural resources conservation along with services and resources of other eligible partners.

Eligible Partners

Eligible partners include, but are not limited to:

• Federally recognized Indian Tribes
• States
• units of local government
• agricultural or silvicultural associations or
• other groups of producers such as an irrigation association; an agricultural land trust; or other nongovernmental organization experience working with agricultural producers.

The NRCS National AWEP website has more information.

< Back to Florida Programs

Updated 04/25/2011