Stockton East Water District, North San Joaquin Water Conservation District, and South San Joaquin Irrigation District have been awarded $5 million by the California Department of Food and Agriculture through the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP).

The program is being administered as a block grant which will be dispersed directly to agricultural customers by the districts.

Qualifying projects must improve on-farm irrigation efficiency by reducing the amount of water applied to crops and reducing greenhouse gas emissions

The San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation and the UC Cooperative Extension are also partnering with the districts by providing technical assistance directly to those customers seeking to receive funding for qualifying on-farm improvements.

The districts are encouraging eligible customers to use SWEEP grant funds for on-farm connections to surface water and other improvements that contribute towards groundwater sustainability.

All three districts are located within the critically over-drafted Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater Basin where the benefits of using surface water in-lieu of pumping groundwater can be realized immediately.

South San Joaquin Irrigation District General Manager Peter Rietkerk shared “our customers will need all the tools in the toolbox to sustainably manage our water resources into the future. SWEEP grant funds can really make the difference for growers thinking about modernizing their irrigation systems.”

Growers located in the SEWD, NSJWCD or SSJID that are interested in participating in the program can reach out to these districts for more information. Funding will be available on a first come first serve basis through 2025