Natural Resource Conservation Service Programs and Activities in Highlands County

The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) (formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service) is a federal government agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that is dedicated to assisting landowners and operators in implementing sustainable and economical conservation practices.  The NRCS is a NON-REGULATORY agency and cooperation with landowners and operators is used to accomplish this goal.  Numerous programs are implemented through the NRCS on a local basis throughout the United States.  The programs relevant to Highlands County are listed below.

Conservation Technical Assistance

This is the most common form of assistance provided through the NRCS in Highlands County and conservation technical assistance takes many forms.

Irrigation System Design

This office will develop irrigation systems designs at no charge when the goal of the system is to use water more efficiently than previously done or for irrigation systems on newly developed land.  Traditionally, most designs done through this office have been irrigation systems for citrus, particularly microjet irrigation systems to replace less efficient overhead irrigation systems.  However, we can also develop irrigation designs and perform efficiency evaluations for any other type efficient irrigation system used for agriculture in Highlands County.  Designs developed through this office must meet a strict set of standards developed at the state and national level and all designs are checked for accuracy and performance. 

Irrigation System Evaluation

This office can conduct evaluations of existing and newly installed irrigation systems to determine whether the systems are operating efficiently.  Recommendations are made to improve efficiency where applicable, which leads to reduced water use, reduced pumping costs, improved crop production and improved frost protection capabilities.  This involves running your system at normal operating conditions while we check pressures and flow rates throughout the system to determine uniformity and efficiency and identify problems to recommend corrective actions.  None of the information collected is passed on to regulatory agencies - the information gathered is strictly for your use.

Irrigation Scheduling

Computer generated irrigation schedules can be developed based on your specific grove conditions to maximize efficiency of water use and to improve crop productivity.  These schedules provide information such as how long to water, how many days should pass between irrigation events and the number of days to delay irrigation after a significant rainfall.  This information is based on the soil type, tree spacing, emitter output, tree age and other factors specific to your grove.  We generally prefer to perform an irrigation system evaluation on older systems before providing a schedule so that scheduling information can be as accurate as possible.

Nutrient Management Planning

Assistance in developing a whole farm nutrient management plan is available through this office.  Planning will focus on using resources most efficiently and on using nutrients available on the farm first to reduce costs and reduce environmental impacts.  We consider the nitrogen added through irrigation water in developing fertilizer recommendations and we can test your irrigation water to determine nitrate concentration to account for this factor (this information is NOT provided to any outside agency).  We include nutrients already available in the soil, as determined by a soil test, in developing fertilizer recommendations.  Recommendations can also be developed to include manure applications and other on-farm sources of nutrients.  Application timing is also included in the nutrient management plan.

Grazing Plans

Grazing plans developed through our office can maximize the efficiency of cattle production through the most efficient use of grazing land.  Consideration is given to rotating cattle from one pasture to another, the quality of forage in each pasture, the number of cattle, available fencing and other factors affecting production and management.  Recommendations are made concerning the number of days to keep cattle in a specific pasture, the number of cattle that can be effectively grazed, and general information about efficient grazing practices is provided.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

The EQIP program exists to provide producers with financial assistance in implementing conservation practices in regions designated as conservation priority areas.  In Highlands County, EQIP money has traditionally been used to assist citrus growers in converting overhead irrigation to microjet systems and to assist cattlemen in installing fencing and other permanent structures that improve the efficiency of their operations.  The money is awarded once per year on a competitive basis (so the government gets the most 'bang' for its buck).  EQIP can pay up to 75% of the cost of installing a practice.

Some general information about EQIP:

Priority area designation:

Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)

Benefits to landowner:

Environmental Benefits:

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

General information:

INFORMATION

 

Irrigation Water Management (IWM):

Estimating Soil Moisture by Feel and Appearance

 

NRCS Web Soil Survey - print a map of soils in your area and determine the suitability for a particular use.