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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
appropriation; on-farm efficiency fund
Purpose
Appropriates
$10,000,000 in FY 2026 from the state General Fund (state GF) to the
On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Fund (Fund).
Background
The On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Pilot Program and the Fund were established by the Legislature in 2022 for the purpose of providing grants and collecting data for on-farm irrigation efficiency systems to reduce on-farm use of groundwater, surface water, mainstream Colorado River water or water delivered through the Central Arizona Project while minimizing or eliminating the use of flood irrigation or fallowing to reduce on-farm use. The Fund consists of monies from legislative appropriations, grants from federal agencies and any other lawful source. The Fund is administered through the University of Arizona's Cooperative Extension and monies from the Fund may be granted to qualified applicants for acquiring and installing on-farm irrigation efficiency systems to replace or modify flood irrigation systems.
Grants may be
given to qualified applicants if outlined conditions are met, including if:
1) the grant does not exceed $1,000,000 for a single applicant or related
applicants on the same farm unit; 2) the grant does not exceed $1,500 per acre
of irrigable land that is served by the
on-farm irrigation efficiency system; and 3) the approved system has
demonstrated at least a 20 percent savings in the amount of water used as
compared to flood irrigation systems.
An on-farm irrigation efficiency system is a water delivery system consisting of all component parts and equipment necessary to deliver water to an irrigable field through a method other than flood irrigation (Laws 2022, Ch. 332).
S.B. 1448 appropriates $10,000,000 in FY 2026 from the state GF to the Fund.
Provisions
1. Appropriates $10,000,000 in FY 2026 from the state GF to the Fund.
2. Exempts the appropriation from lapsing.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 7, 2025
SB/SN/slp