Agricultural Emergency Drought Response Program

The Agricultural Emergency Drought Response Program is administered by the Colorado Water Conservation Board within the Department of Natural Resources. The program is designed to support agricultural water users across Colorado during periods of officially declared drought or disaster emergencies. Its core mission aligns with the broader agency mandate to conserve, develop, protect, and manage the state’s water resources for both present and future generations. By targeting emergency conditions, the program functions as a responsive funding mechanism rather than a long-term infrastructure or research grant. The primary purpose of the program is to provide financial assistance to agricultural organizations for emergency water augmentation activities. These activities include securing irrigation water through temporary leasing arrangements or supplemental groundwater pumping when normal water supplies are insufficient due to drought conditions. The program makes up to 1,000,000 dollars available annually in the form of grants or loans, contingent upon a qualifying drought declaration. Funding is specifically intended to offset the cost burden of obtaining additional water resources necessary to sustain agricultural operations during drought emergencies. Allowable uses of funds are clearly defined and limited. The majority of funding must be used for the direct cost of emergency augmentation water, such as leasing or pumping expenses. Limited administrative and professional service costs, including engineering and legal fees, may also be covered but cannot exceed five percent of the total grant award. Operational costs associated with groundwater pumping are eligible if directly tied to augmentation activities. However, the program explicitly excludes funding for general operational expenses, facility maintenance or rehabilitation, research projects, and any anticipated or future costs. Only verified expenses incurred during a previous irrigation season are eligible for reimbursement. Eligibility for the program is restricted to specific types of agricultural organizations operating within counties that have received a federal or state drought designation or disaster emergency declaration. Eligible entities include augmentation companies, ditch and reservoir companies, conservancy districts, and conservation districts. Counties must be designated as primary or contiguous disaster areas by the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. Applicants must submit their requests by April 15 following the year in which the drought designation occurred, ensuring that funding is tied to documented past expenses rather than projected needs. The application process requires adherence to detailed submission guidelines. Applicants must provide a signed cover letter specifying the requested funding amount, organizational contact information, and a comprehensive description of the drought-related augmentation project. Additional required documentation includes proof of drought designation, a detailed line-item budget with both projected and actual expenditures, organizational financial statements, and documentation of tax-exempt status where applicable. A review letter from the appropriate Division Engineer is also required. Applications must be submitted via email to the designated program inbox, and applicants are encouraged to include long-term drought contingency planning materials. Following submission, applications undergo a structured review process. Colorado Water Conservation Board staff first assess completeness and eligibility. Qualified applications are then forwarded with recommendations to a Program Management Committee composed of senior state officials, including the Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the State Engineer, the Executive Director of the Department of Natural Resources, and the Commissioner of Agriculture or their designees. This committee makes final funding decisions based on the submitted materials and staff recommendations. The program operates on an annual cycle tied to drought declarations, with a consistent application deadline of April 15 each year for costs incurred in the prior irrigation season. Funding amounts are calculated based on actual augmentation costs, adjusted by subtracting a historical average cost of water acquisition when applicable. For first-time applicants without historical data, the full eligible cost may be considered. Awards are disbursed after execution of a state contract and submission of proper documentation. The recurring nature of the program reflects its role as an ongoing emergency response tool within Colorado’s water management framework.

Ensure all costs are verified and tied to a prior irrigation season; include complete documentation and engineering validation; emphasize direct linkage to emergency augmentation needs