Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) in Idaho was designed in 2006 to address water shortages in the Eastern Snake River Plain, an area that extends from King Hill to Ashton. Contributing factors for this program include increased use of groundwater, lack of drought measures and the changing of irrigation practices. These factors have resulted in decreased spring flows in tributaries of the Snake River.

The overall goal of the Idaho CREP program is to retire up to 50,000 acres of groundwater-irrigated land. This reduction will provide groundwater savings of approximately 100,000 acre-feet per year. Other benefits of CREP are the reduction of agricultural chemicals and sediment entering the waters of the state from agricultural lands. In addition, aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitat, including that for upland birds, will be enhanced through establishment of permanent vegetative cover.

The program is a partnership between the Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission, the USDA-Farm Service Agency, the USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Idaho Department of Water Resources, the Idaho Department of Fish & Game, and other entities such as the Idaho Ground Water Appropriators, local irrigation districts, local soil and water conservation districts, and the Idaho Association of Conservation Districts.

Financial incentives: In exchange for removing groundwater-source irrigated cropland from production, farmers, ranchers, and agricultural landowners are paid an annual rental rate by the USDA-Farm Service Agency and a sign-up incentive payment. The annual rental payment is based on the county per-acre irrigated rental rate. Also, a cost-share payment of up to 50% of the eligible cost to install approved conservation practices is paid by the FSA. In addition, the State of Idaho may make an annual payment of up to 13% of the federal per acre annual rental payment.

The CREP began in Idaho in 2006 and is now 19 years old. The cumulative impact of CREP over 19 years has been an groundwater savings of 622,585 ac-ft. The cumulative economic impact of CREP in the counties involved has been $34,816,552 dollars distributed as federal rental payments to participants for this same period. Presently there are 127 CREP contracts in 11 counties with an annual groundwater savings of 19,750 ac-ft.

Participation is voluntary, and the contract period is 10 years with the ability to re-activate the water right and return to irrigated farming or possible re-enrollment at the end of the contract period.

CREP by Eligible Counties

*CREP contracts are available in part of or all of the above counties.

For more information, please review our CREP handout. 

For questions, please contact Rob Sharpnack, State CREP Manager, at rob.sharpnack@swc.idaho.gov or at 208-810-0768.