State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) Block Grant
Summary
SCH Number
2024090901
Public Agency
Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District
Document Title
State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) Block Grant
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/23/2024
Document Description
The State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program Block Grant Pilot (SWEEP BGP) administrated by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is a part of the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP), which was first developed in 2014 in response to severe drought. SWEEP provides financial incentives for California agricultural operations to invest in irrigation systems that save water and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Through this Block Grant Pilot, CDFA is providing funding to organizations that will further disburse the funds to individual agricultural operations. CDFA aims to support regional capacity building and provide opportunities for regional strategic use of SWEEP funding to address local concerns regarding water conservation and water efficiency.
With this particular SWEEP block grant, the RCDs of Santa Cruz, San Mateo and Monterey Counties are supporting 35 different farming operations (beneficiaries), which will receive grants to implement water and energy conservation projects including the following: irrigation pump upgrades, installing variable frequency drives (VFDs) to improve pumping energy efficiency, replacing diesel pumps with electric pumps, installing solar energy to run pumps, replacing old and leaky pipelines, upgrading inefficient irrigation systems (primarily sprinkler and drip), installing new filtration systems, installing water management tools to improve irrigation scheduling and water conservation.
Contact Information
Name
Sacha Lozano
Agency Name
Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County
Job Title
Program Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Cruz
Regions
Countywide, Unincorporated
Other Location Info
35 farming operations located in existing agricultural land in Santa Cruz, San Mateo, San Benito and Monterey Counties
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15301 (Class 1 Existing Facilities), Section 15302 (Class 2 Replacement or Reconstruction), and Section 15304 (C
Reasons for Exemption
The Project will involve replacement (upgrading efficiency) or minor alteration of existing, private agricultural land and facilities, involving no expansion of use. All project beneficiaries are actively farming on long-established agricultural land. Project activities are required to result in water savings and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. No project activities will result in expansion of agricultural lands, deepening or drilling of new groundwater wells, or negatively impacting natural habitat surrounding farms.
County Clerk
Santa Cruz
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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