Five agricultural projects to share nearly $552,000 to reduce water use, nutrient loading

PALATKA, Fla., April 12, 2022 — The St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board approved moving forward with contracts for five diverse agricultural projects, totaling nearly $552,000 in cost-share funds. These projects will reduce water use by 14.6 million gallons per year and reduce nutrient loading in the Tri-County Agricultural Area (TCAA) of Putnam, St. Johns and Flagler counties.

Pictured is a recently installed control structure that is part of a sub-irrigation drain tile project to conserve water in St. Johns County.

“I’m pleased the District is able to provide financial assistance to local growers who share our goals of reducing water use and nutrient runoff,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Mike Register. “We appreciate the continued commitment of our board and TCAA partners to protecting Florida’s natural resources while ensuring the sustainability of these operations.”

The board authorized the District’s executive director to execute contracts with the selected growers to share in funds provided by the District, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).

Projects include conversion from seepage to sub-irrigation drain tile, soil moisture probes and precision fertilizer application equipment with GPS. The five projects will reduce farms’ water use and are anticipated to reduce total nitrogen loading by 4,281 pounds per year and total phosphorus loading by 1,734 pounds per year.

Farms selected to receive TCAA Water Management Partnership funds are:

• Boardwalk Farms, Putnam County
• Larry Downes, Putnam County
• M. Seay Farms., Flagler County
• P. Wesley Smith, St. Johns County
• Picolata Produce, St. Johns County

“The growers that receive agricultural cost-share agreements have repeatedly expressed how grateful they are for this program,” said the District’s Technical Program Manager, Suzanne Archer. “Not only have these funds assisted them in implementing technology and practices that otherwise they may not have been able to, but it also creates a more sustainable operation that allows future generations the ability to continue to farm the land.”

Funding for the TCAA Water Management Partnership cost-share program is provided on a year-to-year basis by DEP, FDACS and the District. With assistance from the University of Florida in ranking the applications, the agencies select agricultural projects in the Lower St. Johns River Basin Management Action Plan, which is impaired for total nitrogen and total phosphorus, for cost-share opportunities. A fourth partner, the Natural Resource and Conservation Service, also provides cost-share opportunities to TCAA growers through federal dollars. To date, more than 153 projects have received funding from the combined efforts of the four partners.

These projects are anticipated to contribute to the improved health of the St. Johns River through on-farm and regional water management projects and practices that reduce the movement of nutrients to the river, improve water conservation and result in more efficient farm management while maintaining the long-term viability of agriculture in the TCAA.