California Ag Network

Tag: Water Efficiency

  • CDFA Invites Organizations to Apply to Deliver SWEEP Funding

    The California Department of Food and Ag (CDFA) Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) is now accepting Concept Proposal applications from eligible organizations to serve as State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) Block Grant Recipients.

    OARS invited public comments on the draft application guidelines and supporting documents in early 2026. The application guidelines have since been updated based on that feedback. The remaining supporting documents will be revised this spring to reflect additional public input in preparation for the full proposal period. In the meantime, you can find the public comments and OARS’s responses to the public comments here.

    Who Should Apply?

    At this time, CDFA is only accepting Concept Proposals from eligible organizations to become Block Grant Recipients.

    Eligible organizations must submit a Concept Proposal in order to be considered for invitation to submit a Full Proposal.

    This is not a funding opportunity for individual farmers or ranchers. Producer funding opportunities will be made available at a later date through awarded Block Grant Recipients.

    How to Apply

    Eligible organizations may review the Application Guidelines and submit a Concept Proposal here.

    Visit the SWEEP Block Grant Webpage.

    Webinar

    HSP and SWEEP will offer joint informational webinars to guide prospective Block Grant Recipients through the Concept Proposal application process and address applicant questions. Registration is required.

    Register for Webinar No. 1 on April 13 at 1 to 2:30 p.m. HERE.

    Register for Webinar No.2 on April 20 at 10-11:30 a.m. HERE.

    In addition to informational webinars, OARS will offer a question-and-answer process. General questions may be submitted through April 27, 2026 to cdfa.sweeptech@cdfa.ca.gov,  and responses will be standardized and posted to the website according to the timeline below:

    • April 17, 2026
    • May 1, 2026

    Technical Assistance for Block Grant Applicants

    We are working with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources to support Block Grant applicants through technical assistance. Community Education Specialists (CESs) across California can help develop projects that benefit disadvantaged communities (DACs) and vulnerable populations.

    Need help? Reach out to the CES team at climatesmartag@ucdavis.edu.

    Tribal Set-Aside Opportunity

    SWEEP is committed to expanding access and participation for California Native American Tribes and Tribal-serving organizations.

    For this funding cycle, SWEEP will offer a tribal set-aside of up to $4M for qualified Tribals governments and nonprofit organizations affiliated with a Tribal government. Tribal applicants will apply through the same process and manage the same format of block grant project as all other applicants. This effort aligns with the priorities of Proposition 4 and acknowledges that Tribes have been historically underserved by SWEEP. Through this work, CDFA aims to support water efficiency and energy-saving projects on Tribal agricultural lands and strengthen long-term engagement with Tribal partners.

    Note for Producers

    Producers will not be able to apply for the Block Grant funding until OARS selects Block Grant Recipients for awards and executes agreements. At this time, OARS expects execution of Block Grant Recipient agreements in January 2027. — By the California Department of Food and Ag

  • Helping Water Utilities Reduce California’s Energy Use and Emissions

    From left, Frank Loge, director of UC Davis’ Center for Water and Energy Efficiency, and CWEE project engineer Gabe Paras. (Andrea Martinez/UC Davis)

    Davis, Calif., (October 25, 2017) – Over the next three and a half years, researchers at the University of California, Davis, will work with the Moulton Niguel Water District and Helio Energy Solutionsto better understand how water utilities can reduce California’s energy use as the state works to meet its ambitious greenhouse-gas reduction goals.

    The California Energy Commission awarded the Center for Water and Energy Efficiency at UC Davis $3.1 million to pilot-test a system to help water utilities optimize their energy use and reduce operational costs while continuing to meet customers’ water needs.

    If successful, the pilot program could help balance the electrical grid’s intermittent distribution of renewable energy, while providing substantial savings to ratepayers.

    Reducing strain on grid

    Moulton Niguel Water District spends approximately $2 million per year to power its water services for 170,000 customers in southern Orange County. CWEE researchers will combine water system hydraulic modeling with Helio Energy Solution’s PredictEnergy software platform to create a demand management system designed to reduce Moulton Niguel’s energy consumption.

    “If adopted widely by urban water systems in California, the strain on the grid during peak hours could be reduced significantly, leading to more reliable electricity at lower costs to consumers,” said Frank Loge, faculty director of CWEE, professor of civil and environmental engineering and principal investigator on the grant.

    Simple plan: Pump when rates are lower

    The project will use real-time energy analytics to develop an energy-management system that adapts to changing energy demands and different energy-rate structures for Moulton Niguel’s potable and recycled water systems. While the system is complex, the plan is simple: When energy rates are lower, Moulton Niguel will pump more water, and as rates rise, the district plans to cut back its power consumption.

    “We want to develop a strategy that meets the needs of the grid and pays off for water utilities at the same time,” said Mike Murray, president of Helio Energy Solutions. “By partnering with UC Davis and the Moulton Niguel Water District, we will be able to provide our state with a solution that reliably and safely delivers results while incentivizing water districts to participate. We look forward to working together on this exciting new project.”

    Lowering emissions

    In September, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation requiring the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Water utilities, which require large amounts of power at every step of the water cycle, could be instrumental in reaching those emissions reduction goals. Roughly 20 percent of California’s electricity and more than 30 percent of its natural gas go to the water system, from pumping it for delivery to disposing of wastewater.

    “At Moulton Niguel, we’re constantly identifying new ways to save our ratepayers money and reduce our carbon footprint,” said Joone Lopez, general manager at Moulton Niguel Water District. “The energy experts at CWEE are brilliant at finding new ways to be more efficient. With their help, we hope to be the model for the entire state.”

  • CDFA and DWR Award $4.6 Million To Improve Water Efficiency

    Sacramento, Calif., (October 24, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the Department of Water Resources (DWR) have announced the recipients of a joint water efficiency grant. The North San Joaquin Water Conservation District and 19 farm operations within the district will receive $4.6 million to improve water delivery and on-farm water efficiency.

    The improvements will bring surface water supplies to farms that currently depend exclusively on groundwater for irrigation, helping to ease demands on critically overdrafted basins in the region. Growers can also use grant funds to adopt water conservation technologies such as drip irrigation, moisture sensors and weather stations to reduce water use.

    “It is essential that we think about water distribution at irrigation districts as well as on the farm,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “This grant is a smart investment in improving our water-use efficiency and managing our groundwater basins for future droughts.  Our thanks to the Department of Water Resources for joining us in this critically important program.”

    The grant combines dollars from Proposition 1, a $7.5 billion bond measure approved by California voters in 2014, and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP), a CDFA program that provides financial assistance for California farms to save water and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

    “This investment will return dividends in a more sustainable groundwater future for California,” said Department of Water Resources Director Grant Davis. “These grants provide opportunities for communities to become more water efficient and at the same time, assist in efforts to improve the sustainability of California’s groundwater resources.”

    The joint award given by DWR and CDFA is a pilot project to maximize environmental and production benefits. In order to receive funding, successful applicants designed projects that met specific requirements – including cost, feasibility, water savings and GHG reductions.

    The cooperative project is expected to result in water savings of over 553 million gallons and GHG reductions of 97 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. Other expected benefits include greater energy efficiency and improved nutrient management.

    A list of the selected agricultural operations can be found at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/sweep/JointPilotProgram.html

  • CDFA Announces $5.1 Million In Cap-And-Trade Funded Grants For 2017 State Water Efficiency And Enhancement Program (SWEEP)

    Sacramento, Calif., (July 6, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is pleased to announce the projects selected for the 2017 State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP). Fifty-eight agricultural operations throughout the state will receive grant funding to improve crop irrigation systems that result in water savings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The 2017 SWEEP list of selected projects is available online at: www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/sweep.

    The State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program, a competitive grant program, was initiated in 2014 in response to California’s historic five-year drought. The program has attracted a lot of attention as agricultural operations look for opportunities to improve water and energy efficiencies in agricultural practices.

    The program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment—particularly in disadvantaged communities. The program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution.

    More than 230 agricultural operations applied to receive funding through the 2017 SWEEP solicitation process. Applications and quantifications of water and GHG benefits were thoroughly reviewed by a team of irrigation specialists from the University of California and California State University systems.

    The awarded projects can combine multiple strategies to achieve the required water savings and emissions reductions. Project components often include drip systems, variable frequency pumps, solar energy, and sensors or weather stations to effectively time irrigation with crop water needs. The 2017 SWEEP awards leverage $7 million in matching funds from the program participants, thereby furthering the positive impacts and buy-in of the program.

    Since SWEEP was launched in 2014 the program has extended funding to 587 projects, totaling more than $62 million. Cumulative benefits are estimated at 958,000 acre-feet of water savings — enough to fill more than two-million swimming pools – and 741,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent of greenhouse gas emission reductions over10 years, the equivalent of the removal of more than 20 thousand vehicles from our roads.

  • CDFA Selects Organizations To Provide Technical Assistance To Sweep Applicants

    Sacramento, Calif., ((February 20, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has selected 10 organizations that will provide hands-on technical assistance to prospective State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) applicants.

    The organizations are:

    1) Cachuma Resource Conservation District, Santa Maria

    2) Ventura County Resource Conservation District

    3) Butte County Resource Conservation District

    4) University of California Cooperative Extension, Fresno County

    5) Resource Conservation District of Monterey County

    6) Mission Resource Conservation District, Fallbrook

    7) Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County

    8) Northwest California Resource Conservation and Development Council, Weaverville

    9) Resource Conservation District of Tehama County

    10)  Imperial Valley Water

    These organizations met several requirements, including having an irrigation system expert available for questions and technical assistance, providing computers and internet access to allow growers to complete SWEEP applications, and reporting on workshop outcomes and attendance to CDFA.

    Technical assistance workshops that provide hands-on application assistance are critical to the success of SWEEP and the implementation of efficient irrigation systems to save water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    For a schedule of technical assistance workshops and locations, please visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/sweep/