APPLY TODAY!

As of April 1, 2025, the USDA-NRCS field office located in Robstown, Texas, are now accepting applications for the Petronila Creek Watershed Nutrient Reduction Initiative. If you are a historically underserved producer, we highly encourage you to apply. For more information about this program contact [email protected].

Texas Gulf Coast Restoration: Petronila Creek Watershed Nutrient Reduction Initiative

American Farmland Trust, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council and the Natural Resource Conservation Service have partnered to launch the Petronila Creek Watershed Nutrient Reduction Initiative that provides nutrient reduction benefits to the coastal environment and associated habitats injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. The historic spill resulted in an $8.8 billion settlement for natural resource damages and based on the Oil Pollution Act established the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) program which allows trustees to assess resource injuries and service losses cause by an oil spill and establishes a process to determine how best to compensate the public through on-the-ground restoration activities.

The Petronila Creek was selected for project funds due to being the most polluted creek along the Texas Coast. Although the agriculture sector is not the biggest contributor to this issue, it still plays a role in reducing water quality if nutrient and sediment runoff is not addressed. This voluntary program provides landowners and operators with technical and financial assistance to target various resource concerns. The goal of this project is to improve water quality by managing nutrient and sediment runoff from working agriculture lands through implementing conservation practices. Common eligible NRCS conservation practice standards that can be applied under NRDA include, but are not limited to:

328 Conservation Crop Rotation

329 Residue and Tillage Management, No Till

340 Cover Crops

342 Critical Planting Area

345 Residue and Tillage Management, Reduced Till

386 Field Border

393 Filter Strip

422 Hedgerow Planting

430 Irrigation Pipeline

443 Irrigation System, Surface and Subsurface

449 Irrigation Water Management

484 Mulching

516 Pipeline

554 Drainage Water Management

580 Streambank and Shoreline Protection

590 Nutrient Management

Why Participate?

Implementing conservation practices provides both environmental and economic benefits. Environmentally, these practices help protect natural resources for future generations, enhance soil and water quality, and benefit sensitive ecosystems such as in the Baffin Bay, locally known as a “jewel” of the Texas Gulf Coast for its beauty and recreational activities. For the past 4 years, Baffin Bay’s water quality has been declining, and the Petronila Creek contributes significantly to this issue.

Economically, adopting conservation methods can help lower operational costs. Nutrient management consists of testing the soil and being more precise with chemical inputs and can save farmers time and money while still maintaining yields. Improving soil and water quality is a gradual process that often comes with a learning curve. It requires more investment in time, planning, and equipment. This program provides valuable incentives to landowners and operators to support the transition towards a more resilient operation through cost-shares and technical support for successfully implementing conservation practices.