Walmart Foundation Supports Groundwater Conservation

[WB Staff]

Walmart Foundation Supports Groundwater Conservation
$1 million grant to Ducks Unlimited for water conservation on ag lands

MEMPHIS, TN – More farmers can reduce groundwater use thanks to a grant from the Walmart Foundation. The $1 million grant complements $6.5 million from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to support on-farm work through theUSA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Rice Stewardship Partnership.

“We are thrilled to have continued support from the Walmart Foundation for natural resource conservation on agricultural lands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley,” said DU Director of Conservation Programs Dr. Scott Manley. “Working lands are vital for waterfowl and other wildlife, and farmers are good stewards of the soil, water and other resources. Helping them improve on-farm operations is critical for conservation success.”

The focus of this grant is groundwater conservation on agricultural lands in Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. With nearly 10 million acres of irrigated cropland in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, irrigation withdrawals in many areas exceed recharge rates. There is growing concern across the region about falling groundwater levels. To address this concern and help farmers grow sustainable crops, Ducks Unlimited is working with farmers, the NRCS and other partners to convert farms to surface-water irrigation. Using surface water will reduce groundwater use and, in many cases, improve water quality after on-farm use.

“The Walmart Foundation is excited to provide support for Ducks Unlimited’s efforts to improve water conservation and nutrient management practices in agriculture,” said Karrie Denniston, senior director for sustainability at the Walmart Foundation. “This initiative will help to support farmers as they test and advance practical approaches to efficient water management, with the hope of scaling what works over time.”

DU staff will serve as the boots-on-the-ground to provide professional advice to interested landowners. The program will begin in Louisiana and Mississippi this year with plans to extend to Arkansas in 2020.

Walmart Foundation funding will also be used to support a research study by the University of Arkansas-Monticello examining persistence of conservation practices after NRCS conservation contracts expire. Interviews with farmers who received financial assistance through an initial Regional Conservation Partnership Program will help the researchers understand which conservation practices are continued beyond the life of the actual conservation contract. This information will be used to better design future conservation programs and improve uptake of conservation practices.

Rice Stewardship funders include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Walmart Foundation, the Mosaic Company Foundation, Nestlé Purina PetCare, Chevron U.S.A., Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation, RiceTec, BASF, American Rice, Inc. – Riviana Foods, Inc., Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation, Delta Plastics, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Corteva Agriscience, Wells Fargo, Farmers Rice Milling Company, Horizon Ag, Turner’s Creek & Bombay Hook Farms, MacDon Industries, Riceland Foods and Ducks Unlimited major sponsors.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 14 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.