Sen. Marshall Announces Over $2.75 Million in USDA Funding for Ogallala Aquifer Conservation

(Washington, D.C., April 27, 2021) – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has awarded the Cheyenne County Conservation District $2,766,234 in Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) funding for a water conservation project benefitting the Ogallala aquifer located between Kansas and Colorado.

“Voluntary conservation efforts are an important and impactful part of our efforts to both reduce water usage while improving water quality for downstream users,” said Senator Marshall. “I have personally been part of similar efforts to remove unnecessary growth along streambanks and believe in the long-term impact these and other conservation efforts can have on the health of our land and water.”

Background:

The Cheyenne County Conservation District will be the lead agency on this initiative. A portion of the $2,766,234 grant will fund incentives for landowners along the South Fork Republican River in Northwest Kansas. This conservation project will also fund tree removal to restore surface and ground water flows in the river, help recharge the aquifer, improve the health of the river stream and wildlife habitat, control encroachment of Salt cedars and Russian Olives, and control the risk of wildfires. Watering facilities for rangeland will also be updated. The NRCS RCPP currently funds a variety of conservation projects that extend to all four corners of the state and protect not only water quality but forests and native grasslands.

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