Money is available to growers within the Fresno Irrigation District to help cover the cost of improving irrigation systems and to increase on-farm groundwater recharge.

A webinar on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 3 p.m. will walk growers through the process of applying for funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Two programs are available, the Groundwater Recharge Pilot Program and the EQIP-WaterSMART Initiative.

The deadline to apply for the funding is Jan. 15, 2026.

The recharge pilot program is designed to encourage landowners to use their land to recharge groundwater. Fresno ID is one of five districts participating.

If successful, NRCS could expand the program during the non-irrigation season through flood irrigation or to construct a small on-site basin to store water for future irrigation needs.

Applications received in Winter of 2026 are for recharge to be completed in Fall 2026-Winter 2027.

Related Story: Well Registration Efforts Continue in Tulare and Fresno Counties

Rebate Specifics

Kassy Chauhan, Fresno ID special project manager and executive officer of North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency, said the district is hopeful the financial incentive will translate to more on-farm recharge in district boundaries.

Growers can apply for:

• Basin: $4,186.79 to $4,474.70 per acre-foot of storage
• Trench: $4.21 per cubic yard excavated
• On-Farm Recharge: $121.33 to $200.14 per acre, per year​​​​​

Chauhan said the EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) funding is confined to eligible farms within the district’s boundaries. That means growers compete within a much smaller applicant pool.

EQIP helps farmers improve irrigation efficiency. This year, EQIP partners with funds from the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART funding pool.

Chahaun said this year, well meters and soil moisture sensors are being prioritized.

Other Project Categories

Other eligible project categories include:

• Flow meters
• Microirrigation system
• Irrigation ditch lining
• Irrigation pipeline
• Irrigation reservoir
• Irrigation water management
• Mulching
• Cover crop
• Reduced tillage or no-till
• Well decommissioning
• Windbreaks and hedgerows

Chauhan said FID tries to maximize opportunities like this for its growers, and response has been favorable. This is the third of possibly five rounds of grant funding for FID, which is a priority area for NRCS because of historic groundwater depletion and prior grower interest in grant funding.

Fresno ID anticipates the third round of funding at approximately $1.4 million, though the district is waiting for confirmation from NRCS.

In fiscal year 2024, the district awarded 16 contracts to growers for $971,387. In fiscal year 2025, growers had 20 contracts for $2,145,176, exhausting all funds both years.

Slides and information from the webinar will be posted to Fresno ID’s website for those unable to attend.

About the Reporter

SJV Water Reporter Lisa McEwen grew up in Tulare County. She has reported on agriculture and other issues for a wide variety of publications, including, Ag Alert, Visalia Times-Delta, the Fresno Bee and the Tulare and Kings counties farm bureau publications.

About SJV Water

SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site covering water in the San Joaquin Valley, www.sjvwater.org. Email us at sjvwater@sjvwater.org