{"id":2047473,"date":"2023-09-27T23:56:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-28T03:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/farmers-across-4-us-states-to-receive-compensation-if-they-agree-to-use-less-water\/"},"modified":"2023-09-28T00:00:18","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T04:00:18","slug":"farmers-across-4-us-states-to-receive-compensation-if-they-agree-to-use-less-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/farmers-across-4-us-states-to-receive-compensation-if-they-agree-to-use-less-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Farmers in 4 US states to be compensated for reducing water usage."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffarmers-across-4-us-states-to-receive-compensation-if-they-agree-to-use-less-water%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2047473&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Farmers in \u2063Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico to Receive Compensation for Water Conservation<\/h2>\n<p>Farmers in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico will now have the opportunity to be rewarded for their \u200defforts in conserving water. The water conservation \u2062programs in these states have been \u200dextended into the next\u200d year, allowing\u200d farmers to receive compensation for cutting back on their water usage.<\/p>\n<p>The System \u2063Conservation Pilot Program (SCPP) was initially launched from\u2063 2015 to 2018 as a trial to support projects that could offer potential solutions to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/in-depth-power-grid-facing-elevated-risk-of-summer-outages-warns-reliability-watchdog\/\" title=\"Power grid at risk of summer outages, warns watchdog.\">declining water levels<\/a> in Lake Mead and Lake \u2064Powell.\u2064 These lakes have been greatly affected by long-term \u200ddrought conditions in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The trial aimed to explore\u2064 voluntary, temporary, and compensated water cuts as a means of addressing this issue.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">During the trial period, the program received nearly\u200b $8.5 million in federal funding, with \u2064the four states collectively spending \u2064this amount, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2023\/09\/26\/colorado-river-water-conservation-program-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Colorado Sun<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/mississippi-river-saltwater-intrusion-threatens-drinking-water-new-orleans-declares-emergency-5497224?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Mississippi River Saltwater Intrusion Threatens Drinking Water; New Orleans Declares Emergency<\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/23\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/mississippi-river-saltwater-intrusion-threatens-drinking-water-new-orleans-declares-emergency-5497224?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/the-high-cost-of-electric-vehicles-mining-for-minerals-puts-us-water-supplies-in-danger-5491463?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>The High Cost \u200cof Electric Vehicles: Mining for Minerals\u2063 Puts US \u200cWater Supplies in Danger<\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/18\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/the-high-cost-of-electric-vehicles-mining-for-minerals-puts-us-water-supplies-in-danger-5491463?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Through the SCPP, approximately 47,200 acre-feet \u2062of water from the Upper Basin states has been preserved. This program allows water users, including farmers, to be compensated\u200d for temporarily reducing their water usage. It enables them to contribute to sustainable water use in the Colorado River system without sacrificing their water rights or livelihoods, as stated by the Colorado River Authority of Utah.<\/p>\n<p>The program is not designed to force people out \u2062of agriculture but rather provides an additional tool for\u2064 water users \u200cto enhance the value and stability of their operations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>An \u2063American flag\u200d waves in the wind at the edge of a farm outside of\u2063 Walsh, Colo., on Dec. 6, 2021. (John Fredricks\/The\u200c Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>Simplified Compensation Structure<\/h2>\n<p>In January of this year, the federal government \u2063reauthorized the System Conservation Pilot program\u200c (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ucrcommission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Final-SCPP-Funding-Agreement-Executed-Jan-6-2023.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pdf<\/a>) and allocated up to $125 million from the\u200d Biden administration&#8217;s Inflation Reduction Act to the Upper Basin states for water reduction projects between 2023 and\u2063 2026.<\/div>\n<p>However, the program faced low\u2063 participation levels, resulting in an investment of\u200b approximately $16 million and the conservation of 37,810 acre-feet\u2062 of water. This amount \u200bis relatively small compared to the annual \u2063flow of the Colorado River, which is \u2062around 12 million acre-feet, according to multiple reports.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the limited \u2062participation, commissioners from the Upper Basin states unanimously voted to continue the farmer \u200bcompensation aspect of the \u200cprogram. This\u2062 time, they\u200d introduced a more\u2064 transparent and straightforward fixed-price compensation structure.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Under the revised program, officials from all four states are \u200dnow offering farmers and\u2063 ranchers a base rate of up to $150 per acre-foot\u200d of water saved, as reported by The Colorado Sun. <\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>Farmers \u2063and Ranchers Express Concerns<\/h2>\n<p>While \u2062advocates applaud the program, some individuals have expressed doubts about the effectiveness of compensating farmers for their water\u200c conservation efforts.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">&#8220;It&#8217;s a comical mess,&#8221; stated Shaun Chapoose, chairman of\u200b the northeast Utah Ute Indian Tribe, in an interview with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2023\/05\/08\/colorado-river-conservation-pilot-savings-water\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Denver Post<\/a>.\u200b &#8220;They ain&#8217;t fixing anything.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Furthermore, certain Colorado farmers voiced concerns to local radio station <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kunc.org\/regional-news\/2023-02-28\/paid-not-to-farm-an-expanded-colorado-river-conservation-program-divides-agriculture-community\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KSJD<\/a> that reducing water usage could negatively impact the local economy and lead\u2064 to widespread drying of agricultural land. These concerns are particularly significant given the ongoing drought conditions.<\/div>\n<p>Elizabeth Koebele, a water policy researcher at the\u200c University of Nevada-Reno, highlighted that farmers are also\u2063 worried about \u200cthe compensation amount offered, which may not be \u200dsufficient to incentivize them to voluntarily reduce their\u200b water usage.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If people understand the\u200d importance of this water, they may demand a higher price for it.\u2064 They may\u200b also be \u200dconcerned about whether the compensation adequately accounts for potential negative impacts on their fields,&#8221;\u200d explained Ms. Koebele.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Nevertheless, \u200bfederal officials remain hopeful that the \u2064program will\u2064 contribute to the overall goal of reducing water usage in the Colorado River Basin\u200c by 2 million to 4 million acre-feet in\u2062 2023. This\u2063 reduction, which amounts to up to one-third of the river&#8217;s annual average \u200bflow,\u2063 was requested by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 2022.<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Becky Mitchell, Colorado River\u200b Commissioner for the\u200d State of Colorado, stated, &#8220;This\u200c year&#8217;s revamp incorporates valuable input from Colorado water users. \u200cThe SCPP should\u2014and \u2063can\u2014work in a way that makes sense for Colorado. \u2064The\u200b pilot program offers flexibility\u200d for Coloradans who want to explore innovative conservation projects,&#8221; in an interview with <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/equilibrium-sustainability\/4224093-upper-colorado-river-basin-states-renew-plan-to-pay-farmers-for-water-conservation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hill<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2>, Utah, and New Mexico has sparked\u2062 debate among critics and\u2063 proponents. Some argue that compensating farmers for \u2063reducing \u2063water usage could \u200ccreate a perverse incentive to use more water in the first place. Others believe \u200cthat the program is necessary for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nasa-accuses-china-of-failing-to-clean-up-space-junk-after-rocket-careens-back-to-earth\/\" title=\"NASA Accuses China Of Failing To Clean Up Space Junk After Rocket Careens Back To Earth\">long-term sustainability<\/a> of the Colorado River Basin. Here are three questions related to\u200d the program:<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2064 Armers or whatever you want \u2062to call them\u2014conservationists. They don\u2019t conserve \u2064anything.\u201d Other critics argue that compensating farmers for\u200c reducing their water usage\u2063 could create a perverse incentive to use more water in \u2064the first\u200c place, in\u2063 order to receive compensation for cutting\u200b back later.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these concerns, proponents of the program argue that it is a necessary \u200cstep towards ensuring the long-term sustainability of the\u200b Colorado River Basin. The annual flow of the \u200dColorado River has been declining due to factors such \u200bas drought, climate change, and increased demand for water. By\u200d incentivizing farmers to conserve \u200bwater, the program \u2062aims to reduce\u200d the strain\u200d on the\u2063 river system and ensure that it can continue \u200dto \u2063meet the needs \u2062of both human and ecological communities.<\/p>\n<p>In addition\u2063 to the financial compensation, the program also provides technical assistance and support to farmers who participate. This includes help\u200d with implementing water-saving measures, such as upgrading irrigation systems, implementing more efficient irrigation practices,\u2064 and using crop varieties that require less \u2063water. By offering this support, the program aims\u200b to make it easier for farmers to adopt water-saving\u200c practices and maximize the impact of their conservation efforts.<\/p>\n<p>The extended program will \u2064run until the end of next year, allowing farmers in Colorado,\u200b Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico\u200c to continue\u200b receiving compensation for their water \u200cconservation efforts. It is hoped that the\u200d program will not\u2063 only help to preserve water resources in the region but \u200calso serve as a model for other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/farmers-across-4-us-states-to-receive-compensation-if-they-agree-to-use-less-water\/\" title=\"Farmers in 4 US states to be compensated for reducing water usage.\">areas facing similar water challenges<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the extension of the System Conservation Pilot \u2062Program in Colorado, Wyoming<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>help conserve water in the Colorado River Basin. Due to its success, the program has been extended for another year, allowing farmers in the four states to receive financial incentives for reducing their water consumption. This initiative aims to address the ongoing water scarcity issues in the region and promote sustainable farming practices.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":2047474,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2047473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2047473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/69"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2047473"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2047473\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2047474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2047473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2047473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2047473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}