BISMARCK - In an effort to improve water quality in flood-prone areas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service is targeting $500,000 in financial assistance for installation or enhancement of ring dikes around farmsteads.
Interested agricultural producers should submit an application at a local NRCS field office by May 20.
Producers will be eligible to receive up to 75 percent of the cost of building the dike to protect their farmstead. Beginning, limited-resource and socially disadvantaged farmers are eligible to receive up to 90 percent of the installation cost.
The funds are made possible through the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program. AWEP and similar programs provide financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers, are key to helping producers meet conservation goals and to provide the public with important benefits such as cleaner water, improved air quality, healthy soils and abundant wildlife.
