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Irrigation project leaders ask legislature to enable tax credits, defend $42-per-acre assessment to finish Grand Prairie delivery
Summary
Officials for the Bayameda/Grand Prairie irrigation projects told the Senate agriculture committee the region—aces groundwater depletion and presented a financing plan that relies on federal grants, a state tax credit and a court-authorized assessment that they say would average about $42 per irrigated acre in phase 1.
Edward Swain, executive director of the Bayameda Water Management Project, told the Senate Agriculture committee that groundwater depletion across the Grand Prairie region threatens the long‑term viability of irrigated row‑crop agriculture and that surface water from the Arkansas River can stabilize supplies.
"When we divided it by the number of acres in phase 1, it comes to $42 an acre," Swain said, describing the project—inancing that combines federal grants, loans and a proposed assessment tied to court authority establishing the district. He said the full estimated cost to farmers would be about $48 for the first acre‑foot when combined with an $18 operation charge and that the financing…
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