Water is the lifeblood of the agricultural industry, and agricultural access to water is a critical concern for New Jersey’s farmers. This need is especially urgent during periods of drought when restrictions on water use could catastrophically affect farm income for the production year, but beyond those circumstances, ensuring an adequate water supply, both now and in the future, is essential to protecting the production capability and economic stability of agriculture.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture established an Agricultural Water Working Group that includes members of the Department of Agriculture, Rutgers Cooperative Extension and the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Department of Environmental Protection. The mission of the working group is to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the water needs of agriculture and to assist in the development of essential rules, policies and guidelines to ensure that there will be an adequate water supply to meet the current and future needs of New Jersey’s agricultural industry. The working group has been successful in establishing an on-going dialogue between the agencies and organizations that regulate, and advocate for, agricultural water. An educational session was held in November with NJDEP Bureau staff, county agricultural agents, department staff and others to help resolve some ongoing water allocation procedural issues and to provide insight into the NJDEP’s water allocation decision-making process.

During 2004, a substantial effort was made to eliminate the existing agricultural water certification/registration application backlog. In addition, the NJDEP Bureau of Water Allocation has developed a strategic plan to eliminate the processing backlog prior to the 2005 - growing season. The Department is also working with the NJDEP to restore some of the agricultural water allocations in the newly restricted water supply areas in Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester counties.

However, despite the efforts of the working group, agricultural water concerns still persist. New Jersey’s farmers face increasing water supply restrictions, particularly in critical areas 1 and 2. The present water demands of agriculture represent approximately 6% of the total water demand in the state. Although residential water supply and potable water quality continue to make the headlines, the long-term water needs of New Jersey’s agricultural community must be equally considered during the Water Supply Master Planning process.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the delegates to the 90th State Agricultural Convention assembled in Atlantic City, New Jersey on January 24-26, 2005, call upon the Department of Agriculture to continue working with the Department of Environmental Protection to address water supply and water quality issues by participating in the NJDEP’s statewide water supply planning process and by planning strategically for the implementation of federal and state conservation programs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we support the efforts of the Agricultural Water Working Group, and encourage them to continue their work on behalf of New Jersey’s agricultural community.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we request the NJDEP in its policy-making activities to ensure that there is adequate water for New Jersey’s farmers, realizing that water allocation planning is critical to overall farm management.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we request the NJDA and NJDEP explore the establishment of an agricultural Water Allocation Credit Program, whereby farmers who employ water conservation practices, thereby utilizing water at a rate that is below their permit allocations at certain times, be permitted to correspondingly increase water use at other times. Such a program would encourage the implementation of water conservation measures within the agricultural community and improve the viability of the agricultural industry by allowing water usage to be tailored to fit the needs of each agricultural operation.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NJDA should work with the NJDEP to ensure that all water-related plans, policies and programs of the state recognize the critical role that farmland plays in providing recharge of water to underlying aquifer systems and surface water supplies.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we insist that the NJDEP, in its policy-making activities, consider the needs of agricultural operations when developing policies and programs that involve water quality issues, such as stormwater management and impervious coverage limitations.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we encourage producers to use water conservation technologies, to utilize any available cost-share grants funded by the USDA, NJDEP and the NJDA, and to continue to look for new and efficient methods to conserve water on farms, including drip irrigation, water recapture and reuse, and enhanced on-farm water storage techniques.