Agricultural Water Conservation Grants Program

The Agricultural Water Conservation Grants Program offers grants for projects that support agricultural irrigation conservation strategies in alignment with the state water plan and demonstrate agricultural water conservation best management practices. Projects that receive grants must adhere to the Texas Administrative Code Title 31 Section 367. Each year, applications are solicited to address specific topics, based on current issue areas in Texas agricultural water conservation. Some examples of previously awarded grants include the following water saving approaches:

  • Irrigation systems improvements
  • Demonstrations and technology transfer
  • Equipment cost share

The Agricultural Water Conservation Grants Program has funded hundreds of projects since its inception in 1985 that has saved thousands of acre-feet of water.


What can be funded?

A conservation program:

  • an agricultural water conservation technical assistance program;
  • a research, demonstration, technology transfer, or educational program relating to agricultural water use and conservation; and
  • a water conservation program administered by a state agency or political subdivision to provide loans to persons for conservation projects.
A conservation project:

  • improves the efficiency of water delivery to and application on existing irrigation systems;
  • prepares irrigated land for conversion to dry land conditions;
  • prepares dry land for more efficient use of natural precipitation;
  • purchases and installs on public or private property devices designed to indicate the amount of water withdrawn for irrigation purposes; or
  • prepares and maintains land to be used for brush control activities in areas of the state where those activities, in the TWDB’s judgment, would be most effective.

FY24 Ag Grants Webinar Series

FY24 Ag Grants Webinar #1



FY24 Ag Grants Webinar #2


How To Apply

For those qualified entities interested in applying, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) annually publishes a Request for Applications (RFA) on this site and on the Texas Register.

The Agricultural Water Conservation Fund’s governing rules and guidelines are outlined in Title 31, Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 367, and application instructions are available upon request.

Download an overview of the Agricultural Grants Program


Where can I get more information?


Grant Contract Management Resources


Agricultural Grants Projects

The following table includes details on all Agricultural Water Conservation Grants funded by TWDB since 2004. Where available, a PDF of the final report is provided.

Contract Number Fiscal Year Contractor Funded Amount Project Type Project Description
2413582893 2024 Mesquite GCD $100,000 Equipment Cost Share Cost share reimbursement of irrigation meters
2413582894 2024 North Plains GCD $200,000 Equipment Cost Share Cost share reimbursement of irrigation meters
2413582895 2024 Post Oak Savannah GCD $30,000 Equipment Cost Share Cost share reimbursement of irrigation meters
2413582896 2024 Rolling Plains GCD $250,000 Construction Managed Aquifer Recharge Project
2413582897 2024 Texas A&M Kingsville $256,619 Research and Demonstration Integrated sustainable agriculture practices
2413582898 2024 Texas A&M El Paso $250,000 Research and Demonstration Sensored sub-surface drip irrigation to conventional flood irrigation comparison study
2413582899 2024 Texas A&M Lower Rio Grande $194,337 Research and Demonstration Deficit irrigation, plastic mulching, and biostimulants to reduce water consumption while maintaining crop yield and quality
2413582900 2024 Texas Tech University $250,000 Research and Demonstration Sensor-based irrigation management technologies
2303582725 2023 Edwards Aquifer Authority $100,000 Irrigation System Improvements Irrigation efficiency cost share program
2303582726 2023 Texas Tech University $249,548 Research and Demonstration Funding of the Texas Alliance for Water Conservation program
2303582727 2023 Mesquite GCD $50,000 Equipment Cost Share Cost share of irrigation meters
2303582728 2023 Rolling Plains GCD $50,000 Equipment Cost Share Cost share of irrigation meters
2303582729 2023 Texas A&M Kingsville $70,834 Demonstration Dragon fruit water use study
2303582730 2023 Texas A&M Agrilife $124,359 Research and Demonstration Study on soil-plant water effeiency to reduce water use in Texas vineyards
2303582731 2023 Chambers-Liberty CND $23,545 Equipment Cost Share Installation of three sonar beam flow devices to measure water being applied to crawfish/ rice field
2303582732 2023 Maverick County WCID#1 $200,000 Equipment Cost Share Installation of 5 meters to control and monitor flows along the main canal system
2303582733 2023 Cibolo Creek MA $12,000 Equipment Cost Share Replacement of an old irrigation pumpt
2303582734 2023 University of Texas at San Antonio $168,832 Research Using in-situ sensor observation, remote sensing data, and weather forecasts to improve short term dry condition forecasts
2213582643 2022 Edwards Aquifer Authority $100,000 Equipment Cost Share Irrigation Efficiency Improvement Grant Program
2213582644 2022 El Paso WID No. 1 $150,000 Irrigation System Improvements Riverside Canal Sediment Control Project
2213582645 2022 Evergreen UWCD $50,000 Equipment Cost Share Agriculture Water Conservation Program through metering
2213582646 2022 North Plains GCD $300,000 Equipment Cost Share Meter Reimbursement Program for 400 meters
2213582647 2022 Panhandle GCD $75,000 Equipment Cost Share Remote monitoring Systems project intiative for farmers to switch to RMS
2213582649 2022 Texas A&M $55,865 Research Biochar study the benefits and risks of its use in citrus groves
2213582650 2022 Texas Tech University $264,644 Demonstration Water conservation using cover crops, crop rotations, and irrigation technology to improve soil health
2213582651 2022 United Irrigation District $200,000 Equipment Cost Share Design and construcution of pump station E458
2103582571 2021 Texas Tech University $203,054 Demonstration Water Conservation through Soil Health Improvement -continuation of Texas Alliance for Water Conservation
2103582572 2021 Gateway GCD $50,000 Equipment Cost Share Agricultural Production Metering
2103582573 2021 Edwards Aquifer Authority $100,000 Equipment Cost Share Irrigation Efficiency Improvement Grant Program
2103582574 2021 Mendard County WCID $65,900 Irrigation System Improvements Menard Irrigation Canal Project
2103582575 2021 Middle Pecos GCD $200,000 Equipment Cost Share Advancing Water Conservation in Management Zone 1
2103582576 2021 North Plains GCD $250,000 Equipment Cost Share Master Irrigator Program Cost Share
210382577 2021 Santa Cruz Irrigation District $250,000 Irrigation System Improvements R-6 Canal Piping Project
1813582256 2018 Culberson County GCD $50,000 Equipment Cost Share Installation of telemetry system, including metering, monitoring, and weather station devices.
1813582257 2018 Delta Lake Irrigation District $20,000 Planning & design Planning and design for canal improvements - water conservation through canal to pipeline conversion.
1813582258 2018 El Paso County WID No. 1 $50,000 Planning & design Designing improvements to the Riverside Canal for improved conveyance and conservation.
1813582259 2018 El Paso County WID No. 1 $50,000 Equipment cost share Expanding the capacity of district telemetry systems to improve water management and conservation.
1813582260 2018 El Paso Water Utilities $130,000 Education Comparison of Drip Irrigation to Flood and Center Pivot Irrigation Systems in Hudspeth County.
1813582261 2018 High Plains UWCD No. 1 $150,000 Equipment cost share Assistance in Irrigation Management (AIM) Program.
1813582262 2018 Wintergarden GCD $150,000 Metering Installation of flow meters on irrigation wells to enable accurate measurement of water use.
1913582343 2019 Cameron County Irrigation District No. 6 $97,5000 Irrigation System Improvements Bennett and Swan Nelson Canal Improvements.
1913582344 2019 El Paso County WID No. 1 $180,000 Irrigation System Improvements Franklin Feeder Canal Lining Project.
1913582345 2019 High Plains UWCD No. 1 $230,000 Equipment cost share Assistance in Irrigation Management (AIM) Program.
1913582344 2019 Lake Proctor Irrigation Authority $70,000 Equipment cost share Install an automated control system for a subsurface drip irrigation distribution system.
1913582346 2019 Mesquite GCD $22,500 Metering Irrigation water use measurement.
2013582446 2020 Bayview Irrigation District $200,000 Irrigation System Improvements Main Canal Pipe Conversion Project.
2013582447 2020 El Paso County WID No. 1 $300,000 Irrigation System Improvements Franklin Canal Lining Project Phase 2.
2013582448 2020 Lower Colorado River Authority $244,744 Irrigation System Improvements Garwood Gate Automation Project.
2013582449 2020 North Plains GCD $250,000 Equipment cost share Master Irrigator Program.
2013582450 2020 Texas A&M AgriLife Research $200,314 Research & Education Education Programs in South Texas.
1613581991 2016 Chambers Liberty Counties Navigation District $16,000 Metering Cost-share of irrigation measurement equipment.
1613581992 2016 Hidalgo County WCID #19 $64,725 Metering Cost-share of irrigation measurement equipment.
1613581994 2015 Sutton County UWCD $10,000 Metering Cost-share of irrigation measurement equipment.
1613581993 2016 North Plains GCD $15,000 Education Efficient irrigation management via a fully integrated system.
1613581996
2016 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension $150,000 Education Lower Rio Grande Valley irrigation education and outreach.
1613581997 2016 Texas A&M AgriLife Research $120,000 Education On-farm irrigation strategies for water conservation in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
1613581995 2016 Texas A&M University $149,964 Research Feasibility study for a statewide evapotranspiration network.
1713582130 2017 Chambers-Liberty Counties Navigation District $24,000 Equipment Cost Share Purchase and installation of flow measurement devices.
1713582131 2017 Edwards Aquifer Authority $7,500 Equipment Cost Share Voluntary automated meter reading project.
1713582132 2017 Edwards Aquifer Authority $100,000 Equipment Cost Share Groundwater conservation grant program.
1713582135 2017 Lower Colorado River Authority $90,305 Equipment Cost Share Gulf Coast Irrigation Division gate rehabilitation project.
1713582136 2017 Mesquite GCD $25,000 Equipment Cost Share Irrigation water use measurement.
1713582137 2017 North Plains GCD $100,000 Equipment Cost Share Irrigation conservation initiative to cost share equipment and irrigation management tools with participating agricultural producers.
1513581886 2015 North Plains GCD $295,050 Metering 50 percent cost-share of meters.
1713582118 2017 North Plains GCD $200,000 Equipment Cost Share Irrigation conservation initiative to cost share equipment and irrigation management tools with participating agricultural producers.
1713582133 2017 Harlingen Irrigation District $6,925 Equipment Cost Share Meter replacement project.
1713582134 2017 High Plains UWCD #1 $225,000 Equipment Cost Share Producer education and equipment deployment.
1713582135
2017 Lower Colorado River Authority $90,305 Equipment Cost Share Gulf Coast Irrigation Division gate rehabilitation project.
1713582138 2017 Panhandle GCD $36,000 Equipment Cost Share Precision mobile drip irrigation demonstration.
1713582139 2017 Texana GCD $15,000 Equipment Cost Share Groundwater irrigation meter cost share project.
1713582116 2017 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension $193,799 Demonstration Automated system for monitoring soil moisture and controlling irrigation using low-cost microcontrollers on a participating tree farm.
1713582117 2017 Texas A&M University - Kingsville $199,990 Demonstration An alternative approach to irrigation for small scale citrus producers.
1513581886 2015 North Plains GCD $295,050 Metering 50 percent cost-share of meters.
1513581886 2015 North Plains GCD $295,050 Metering 50 percent cost-share of meters.
1513581885 2015 South Plains UWCD $20,000 Metering 50 percent cost-share of meters.
1513581884 2015 Mesa UWCD $12,500 Metering 50 percent cost-share of meters.
1513581883 2015 Lower Neches Valley Authority $30,000 Metering 50 percent cost-share of meters.
1513581882 2015 Edwards Aquifer Authority $22,050 Metering 50 percent cost-share of meters.
1513581860 2015 North Plains GCD $800,400 Metering 50 percent cost-share of meters.
1513581859 2015 Mesquite GCD $150,000 Metering 50 percent cost-share of meters.
1513581858 2015 Coastal Bend GCD $200,000 Metering 50 percent cost-share of meters.
1513581857 2015 Brush Country GCD $10,000 Metering 50 percent cost-share of meters.
1513581823
2015 Texas A&M University - Kingsville $200,000 Irrigation System Improvements Demonstrations of improved water conserving irrigation techniques to educate citrus growers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
1513581822
2015 Gulf Coast Water Authority $200,000 Irrigation System Improvements Installation of real-time water use monitoring equipment and implementation of conservation pricing.
1513581821 2015 Cameron County Irrigation District No. 6 $150,000 Irrigation System Improvements Open-canal to pipeline replacement project with an agricultural water conservation education seminar for producers.
1413581688 2014 Texas Tech University $3,600,000 Demonstrations Texas Alliance for Water Conservation - $3.6 million appropriated from existing Ag Funds during FY 14 & 15 for continuation of the agricultural demonstration project in the Texas High Plains
1413581737 2014 North Plains GCD $197,313 Demonstrations Demonstrations of irrigation technologies and practices for growers in the Northern High Plains targeting 200 bushels of corn with 12 inches of irrigation water
1413581739 2014 Santa Cruz Irrigation District $200,000 Irrigation System Improvements Canal-lining to reduce water loss
1413581738 2014 El Paso County WID No. 1 $200,000 Irrigation System Improvements Canal-lining to reduce water loss
1413581736 2014 High Plains UWCD $617,500 Metering Cost-share funding for the purchase of irrigation meters
1413581752 2014 North Plains GCD $600,000 Metering Cost-share funding for the purchase of irrigation meters
1413581751 2014 Panhandle GCD $107,500 Metering Cost-share funding for the purchase of irrigation meters
1413581750 2014 Mesquite GCD $150,000 Metering Cost-share funding for the purchase of irrigation meters
1413581753 2014 Coastal Bend GCD $25,000 Metering Cost-share funding for the purchase of irrigation meters
1313581612 2013 UT - Bureau of Economic Geology $194,029 Research Feasibility and assessment of remote sensing technologies to assist with estimating irrigation water use in Texas
1313581611 2013 Lower Neches Valley Authority $100,000 Metering Irrigation measurement - purchase and installation of metering equipment in the Devers Canal System
1313581610 2013 Lower Colorado River Authority $101,700 Irrigation System Improvements Installation and automation of canal check gate structures in the LCRA Gulf Coast Irrigation Division
1313581609 2013 Harlingen Irrigation District $200,000 Irrigation System Improvements Efficiency improvements to the irrigation conveyance system, including replacement of concrete laterals with pipelines
1213581479 2012 Coastal Bend GCD $25,000 Metering Agriculture Water Conservation Grant for metering.
1213581480 2012 Mesquite GCD $50,000 Metering Agriculture Water Conservation Grant for metering.
1213581481 2012 Panhandle Regional Planning Commission $200,000 Education Educational outreach and training for targeted users of the Texas High Plains Evapotranspiration Network for use in irrigation scheduling.
1213581482 2012 Texas A&M University – Kingsville $136,982 Demonstration Demonstration of improved water conserving irrigation techniques to educate citrus growers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
1103581250 2011 Colorado County Groundwater Conservation District $50,000 Metering Agriculture Water Conservation Grant for metering
1103581251 2011 Hemphill County Underground Water Conservation District $10,373 Metering Agriculture Water Conservation Grant for metering
1103581253 2011 Texas AgriLife Research $77,208 Demonstrations Demonstrations of irrigation efficiency improvements
1103581252 2011 North Plains Groundwater Conservation District $250,000 Demonstrations Demonstrations of irrigation efficiency improvements
1103581254 2011 Texas Tech University $101,049 Audits Irrigation System Audits
1003581095 2010 El Paso County WCID No. 1 $50,000 Metering Delivery of flow and soil water content measurements to farmers for improved irrigation water management.
1003581096 2010 Hemphill County UWCD $36,491 Metering Irrigation Water Use Metering
1003581097 2010 Medina County GCD $60,000 Metering Irrigation Water Use Metering
1003581101 2010 Panhandle GCD $63,375 Metering Irrigation Water Use Metering
1003581099 2010 Sandy Land UWCD $11,000 Education Conservation Education and Public Awareness
1003581100 2010 Texas AgriLife Extension $57,321 Education Youth education on rainwater harvesting and agricultural irrigation training for small acreage landowners.
1003581101 2010 Panhandle GCD $127,300 Audits Irrigation System Audits
1003581102 2010 Sandy Land UWCD $47,801 Audits Irrigation System Audits
0903580957 2009 Texas AgriLife Research $275,000 Research Estimation of irrigated land use using time-integrated remotely sensed data.  The 4 pilot projects have been identified.
0903580956 2009 Texas AgriLife Research $99,076 Education Educational enhancements to the TX High Plains Evapo-transpiration Network.
0903580958 2009 Panhandle GCD $125,000 Research Economic impacts of the 50/50 management standard for use of Ogallala Aquifer. Addendum
0903580955 2009 Lower Colorado River Authority $99,219 Technology Transfer Garwood Irrigation Division volumetric measurement equipment.
0903580882 2008 Harlingen Irrigation District $249,015 Technology Transfer Designed, developed, and demonstrated innovative technologies including automatic gates and a soil moisture sensor telemetry system.
0903580904 2008 Texas Agricultural Experiment Station $198,835 Research Assessment of Texas Evapotranspiration (ET) Networks include site visits and sensor degradation analyses.
0903580884 2008 Panhandle GCD $149,968 Metering Purchased and installed 159 flow meters and 27 telemetry devices.
0703580719 2007 Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board $100,000 Other Supplemented statewide technical assistance to implement agricultural water conservation Best Management Practices.
0703580721 2007 Uvalde County UWCD $68,992 Metering Purchased and installed 112 flow meters.
0703580720 2007 Mesa UWCD $35,729 Metering Purchased and installed 23 flow meters, 16 dataloggers and 1 portable flowmeter and construction of 3 monitoring wells.
0603580592 2006 Texas Cooperative Extension $100,000 Demonstrations AgriPartners Program employed 5 farm demonstration assistants to monitor irrigation water use from 44 field demonstration sites.  Producer-to-producer education was disseminated.
0603580596 2006 Texas Agricultural Experiment Station $250,000 Demonstrations Precision Irrigation Network (II) in Wintergarden and Texas High Plains.  A total of 45 field demonstration sites were developed to promote deficit irrigation methods and validate CropMan model.
0603580605 2006 Texas Cooperative Extension $250,000 Education Irrigation Training Program for agricultural producers.  Two versions of training curriculum were developed and 6 training events were conducted.  Over 200 producers and governmental staff attended training.
0503580024 2005 Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board $100,000 Other Supplemented technical assistance for statewide irrigation water conservation practices.  199 Soil and Water Conservation Districts participated in the program.
0503580023 2005 Texas Agricultural Experiment Station $150,000 Demonstrations Precision Irrigation Network in the Wintergarden and Texas High Plains.  Field demonstrations sites were established with drip systems and soil moisture sensors.  A Decision Support System was developed for enhancing the use of evapo-transpiration tools by the cooperating producers.
2005358021 2005 Texas Agricultural Experiment Station $85,265 Research High yielding, short season, and stress tolerant varieties of corn were tested.  Research showed that irrigation water use could be reduced without yield reduction for Texas High Plains.
0503580025 2005 Post Oak Savanah GCD $6,562 Metering Purchased and utilized a portable flow meter with thickness gauge to measure unmetered irrigation wells.
2005358018 2005 Sandy Land UWCD $41,093 Demonstrations Drip irrigation system on cotton in Yoakum County.  Demonstrated that 34.75 acre feet of water could be saved and also increase production.
0503580020 2005 Tule Creek SWCD $1,050 Metering Purchased and utilized a portable flow meter with thickness gauge to measure unmetered irrigation wells.
0503580019 2005 Lower Neches Valley Authority $61,000 Metering Purchased and installed laser levelling and metering equipment.
0503580014 2005 Texas Tech University $6,224,775 Demonstrations Texas Alliance for Water Conservation - agricultural water conservation demonstration project in the Texas High Plains
0503580013 2005 Harlingen Irrigation District $3,775,225 Demonstrations Texas Project for Ag Water Efficiency - agricultural water conservation demonstration project in the Lower Rio Grande Valley
0503580022 2005 Coastal Bend GWCD $50,000 Metering Purchased and installed 62 flow meters.
2005358016 2005 Texas Cooperative Extension $45,000 Demonstrations Nursery industry water use and utilization of Best Management Practices.  A survey of water use data from the nursery/floral industry and field days were conducted.
2004358004 2004 Texas Agricultural Experiment Station $40,600 Demonstrations Demonstration of drip irrigation systems at Uvalde Research & Extension Center.  Drip Irrigation system for forage crops, vegetable crops, and for Bermuda grass were installed and demonstrated to producers.
2004358005 2004 Texas Agricultural Experiment Station $100,000 Demonstrations Statewide competitive small grants program for demonstrating agricultural water conservation Best Management Practices.  Texas Water Resources Institute administered the award to 10 recipients and supervised their research activities.
2004358008 2004 Texas Agricultural Experiment Station $44,400 Technology Transfer Operational support and technological upgrades for the Texas High Plains Evapotranspiration (ET) Network.  A new database was developed and a listserv mechanism was established to disseminate ET data to users.
2004358001 2004 Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board $115,000 Other Supplement of the statewide technical assistance program to agricultural producers.  A total of 197 Soil and Water Conservation Districts participated in the program and identified areas of potential water savings.
0403580003 2004 Cameron County Irrigation District No. 2 $50,000 Technology Transfer Purchased and installed 11 pressure transducers, 11 gates, and a telemetry system to monitor gates.
0403580002 2004 High Plains UWCD No. 1 $20,000 Metering Purchased and installed 15 flowmeters.
2004358011 2004 Uvalde County UWCD $54,000 Research Installation and research on 2 weighing Lysimeters at Uvalde Research & Extension Center.  Crop coefficients were developed for corn, spinach, onions, cotton, and wheat.
0403580012 2004 La Feria Irrigation District $25,000 Technology Transfer Purchased & installed an open channel device to calibrate flow meters and includes telemetry system.
043580006 2004 Sandy Land UWCD $51,800 Demonstrations Drip Irrigation system installed in 60 acres for watermelons.  Demonstrated that 54 acre feet of water could be potentially saved as compared with sprinkler irrigation system.
0403580010 2004 North Plains GCD $23,500 Demonstrations Procured and installed a new center pivot system with dual nozzling options for research and demonstration.
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