Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said 18 water districts will each receive a portion of the $400 million the USDA set aside to pay farmers for reduced water consumption while keeping land in production. The agency expects irrigation use to drop by 50,0000 acre-feet on 250,000 acres in 12 states. An acre-foot is the amount of water to cover an acre of land one foot deep. This would be around 326,0000 gallons.

UCLA professor Par Williams shared that, except for two wet winters, the last 25 years were the driest in the West’s past 1,200 years. The USDA’s water-saving commodity program targets conservation and water efficiency in the West. It is funded by the 2022 climate, healthcare and tax law. It included $15.4 billion to enhance water resources in the Colorado River basin.

Each USDA selected water district will receive $15 million to implement voluntary programs. Five of the 18 irrigation districts are in Califonia. Two districts are located in Arizona, two districts are located in Washington state and Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Wyoming each has a participating water district.

Read more on USDA funding to reduce water use in the West here.