Rancho California Water District initiates CropSWAP, offers financial assistance for crop conversion

The Rancho California Water District (RCWD), located in Temecula, is providing potential financial assistance for the district’s agricultural and ag/residential customer who participate in crop conversion projects to save water. The CropSWAP Program (SWAP – Sustainable Water for Agricultural Production) is the district’s effort to save water through the conversion of higher water use crops with lower water use crop varieties.

Projects completed through participation in the program will be funded through a partnership between RCWD, the Department of Water Resources, the US Bureau of Reclamation, the participating grower, and in some cases, the Natural Resources Conservation Service. General guidelines for participation in the CropSWAP Program include the following:

• RCWD customers whose water service accounts qualify for “agricultural” or “ag/residential” account status are eligible to participate in the program.
• A minimum of three acres of crop that has been irrigated to a level considered adequate for commercial production must be replaced/converted on a single property within RCWD’s service area in order to be eligible for receiving financial assistance through the program.
• It is anticipated that most crop conversion projects completed through the program will involve avocados, citrus, and wine grapes since these are the most commonly grown crops within RCWD’s service area. However, any crop conversion that results in at least one acre foot per acre of water savings is eligible for participation in the program and will be considered by the District on a case by case basis.
• The program does not provide assistance for avocado tree “stumping,” pruning practices, replacement of mature crops with juvenile crops of the same variety, or the permanent removal of crops.
• Prior to crop conversion, crops that are replaced must have been irrigated to a level considered adequate for commercial production. The program will not provide financial assistance for replacement of crops that are not alive or have not been irrigated substantially during the twelve-month period prior to their replacement.
• Crops that replace those which are removed must have lower water requirements.
• Program will not provide financial assistance to replace crops with those that require more water. Moreover, the program will not pay for the replacement of mature crops with juvenile crops of the same variety.
• Crops that are replaced must be removed and replaced on an irrigation block by irrigation block basis. The program will not provide financial assistance for the removal and replacement of individual trees/vines/etc. within blocks.

Additionally, program participants must commit, in writing, to make reasonable efforts to continue using the property undergoing the crop conversion for agricultural production of the crop to which the property was converted for a period of at least ten years following the completion of the conversion project. Eligible customers must enter into a Participation Agreement with RCWD, which provides details on participation requirements, conversion project specifications, financial incentive amounts, and payment terms.

The District has indicated that applications submitted for conversion projects that are eligible for the program will be approved on a first-come, first served basis. The financial assistance amount provided by the district to a program participant will be determined by the district prior to the start of the participant’s crop conversion project. Determination of financial assistance amounts will be made through consideration of the types of crops involved in the crop conversion and an analysis of the participant’s history of water use.

RCWD customers who submit applications will be advised, in writing, by the district of the status of their applications. Customers whose applications are approved will be eligible for a pre-conversion inspection to be conducted by the District, which will determine final CropSWAP Program eligibility.

For more information contact the RCWD at 951- 296-6900 or go to: http://ca-ranchowater.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/2296.