Texas Alliance for Water Conservation

"An Integrated Approach to Water Conservation in the Texas Southern High Plains"

Texas Tech University was awarded a grant in 2004 for project titled, "An Integrated Approach to Water Conservation in the Texas Southern High Plains". Initially an eight-year project, this long-term demonstration initiative received additional appropriations from the legislature in 2013 to extend the project. TWDB awarded the additional grant funds in fiscal years 2014 and 2015, to extend the initiative through the 2019 irrigation season. The Texas Alliance for Water Conservation's (TAWC) mission is to conserve water for future generations by collaborating to identify those agricultural production practices and technologies that, when integrated across farms and landscapes, will reduce the depletion of groundwater while maintaining or improving agricultural production and economic opportunities.

The project includes approximately 15 square miles of cropland east of Plainview and within the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1. The project includes demonstrations of cropping systems ranging from monoculture to fully integrated crop/livestock/forage systems including dryland cropping, irrigation technologies such as subsurface drip irrigation and precision center pivot systems, improved crop varieties, benefits of irrigation scheduling, and other practices aimed at meeting local water conservation goals and management strategies.

Recipient of TCEQ's 2015 Texas Environmental Excellence Award