SADC Soil & Water Conservation Grants

The SADC provides grants to reimburse eligible landowners up to 50% of the cost of approved soil-and-water conservation projects on farms enrolled in permanent or term (8-year or 16-year) farmland-preservation programs. Projects help prevent and control erosion, reduce pollution, manage water for agriculture, and improve land and soil productivity. Eligible projects (set by the State Soil Conservation Committee) include terracing, diversions, grassed waterways, windbreaks, stream protection, drainage, irrigation systems, water-control structures, livestock watering facilities, and animal-waste control facilities.

The applicant must be the current landowner of a preserved farm (or a farm operator with the landowner's written permission), and the farm must be permanently preserved or enrolled in an 8-year or 16-year farmland-preservation program. Each farm is eligible for a new round of funding every 8 years. Some independently preserved (non-SADC) farms may also qualify if they meet certain criteria.

Each farm has a maximum grant designation based on $50,000 + $500/acre, up to $150,000. Reimbursement cannot exceed the maximum eligibility, 75% of the federal rate, or 50% of total actual costs, whichever is lower (the 2017-2025 average reimbursement was 42% of project cost). Projects must meet federal Conservation Practice Standards, be completed within 3 years of approval, and be maintained for at least 8 years.

Contact your local Soil Conservation District, which helps develop a required farm conservation plan. Determine eligibility via the online form (or printable PDF); the State generates an application document that is approved by the applicant, technical service provider, and Soil Conservation District, then forwarded to the State Soil Conservation Committee, which recommends projects to the SADC for funding. Submit invoices and documentation for reimbursement after installation.