Overview
The Water Irrigation Efficiency Program is designed to increase irrigation water application efficiency in crop production by 20% or more. Approved grantees will receive up to $1,500 per
acre, for a maximum reimbursement of $1,000,000 toward the purchase and installation of a
system from an approved vendor. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension will manage
the funding process, including reviewing all proposals, funding disbursement, and grant
management.
This grant is designed to conserve our most precious resource - water. Those
awarded will be required to report their data to further the research efforts of the University of
Arizona Cooperative Extension as it relates to water efficiency, crop production, and impact on a
variety of factors, such as yield, soil health, disease, and pest pressure. An appropriate water
metering device will be installed on all new irrigation systems. Any questions about the grant
should be directed to Stephanie Brennan, administrative assistant for the Water Irrigation
Efficiency Program. Stephanie can be reached via email at: sbrennan@arizona.edu or
CES-WaterGrant@teams.arizona.edu. To see more information about this grant, visit our website.
Eligibility
1. Applicants must be landowners or active leaseback farmers of the flood-irrigated
property for which the grant is written.
2. Applicants must have a grower permit issued by the Arizona Department of Agriculture
pursuant to A.R.S. 3-363.
3. Applicants must sign a three-year commitment to maintain the land and irrigation
system, which begins on the date the system is operational.
4. Applicants must monitor and report water usage and deliver data to the University of
Arizona Cooperative Extension during the three-year period.
General Guidelines
Grantees must adhere to all rules and regulations laid out by the funding committee.
Submission of a proposal is considered an acknowledgement of an agreement to selecting
on-farm irrigation efficiency systems approved by the University of Arizona Cooperative
Extension that increase water efficiency by at least 20%. Applicants may be asked to provide
supporting documentation in addition to the documents listed in this Request for Proposal
(RFP). Grantees will also be required to submit to periodic site visits.
This grant is a reimbursement grant. All funding awarded in this grant will be passed from the
approved applicant (grantee) to the approved vendor. The Water Irrigation Efficiency Program
can provide documentation allowing grantees to enter an arrangement with approved vendors if
funding is a problem. We may also engage with selected grantees to provide advanced funding
to vendors to launch an approved project. These arrangements will be made on a case-by-case
basis.
Submission Process and Timeline
Applicants apply by filling out the online application below.
In addition to the project narrative, applicants must submit a project cost estimate from an
approved vendor that includes materials and installation as an attachment. If estimates for
installation and other project costs are not available at the time of application submission,
successful applicants will be required to do so prior to being awarded. Vendors will have to be
approved prior to proposal approval.
For applicants who are active leaseback farmers of the property for which the grant is written, a
signed letter from the landowner agreeing to a three-year commitment to maintaining the land
and irrigation system is required.
Applicants may also submit site plans for the project area. Sketches of the land and project area
are permitted.
Proposals will be reviewed by a committee of university and industry irrigation experts.
Applications must be clear and address all questions in the below narrative.
The application process is ongoing and proposals may be submitted until October of
2026.
Grantee Requirements
Grants will be disbursed and managed by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, who
also will be responsible for researching water efficiency, crop production, and other project
impacts in partnership with grantees.
* Grantees must utilize grant funding expressly for the improvement of water-use
efficiency on flood-irrigated lands as outlined in this RFP.
* Proof of vendor agreement is required for fund disbursement.
* Grantees must install the approved increased efficiency irrigation system within the time
period approved by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension before October
2026.
* Grantees must track water use after installation of approved increased efficiency
irrigation system.
* Grantees must allow University of Arizona Cooperative Extension onto the applicable
lands to research water efficiency, crop production, and related impacts. - The projected
water savings of the new irrigation efficiency system must likely increase efficiency by at
least 20%.
We do not wish to be invasive when studying the impact on your crops. Research
will be coordinated with you and with minimal impact to your business and land.
This is a grant. The applicant of an approved project will receive the grant award to be used by
the applicant to acquire and install the system from the vendor. The applicant must pay the
vendor.
NOTE: Information on personal farms will not be shared publicly. All information regarding water savings will be de-identified and aggregated in order to provide a report to the University of Arizona and the legislature.
All fields marked with a red asterisk (*) are required fields. You will be unable to submit your application if these fields are not completed.
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