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Agriculture Resilience: Ag H2O Strategic Plan Update

Purpose: North Carolina farmers are facing increasingly unpredictable water conditions — prolonged droughts, rapid 3–4″ rainfall events, and more frequent flooding. Agriculture depends on reliable water access, yet many farms now experience both scarcity and excess within the same season.  This project updates the 2011 Ag H₂O Strategic Plan, expanding its scope to address water supply, water storage, conservation efficiency, and flood mitigation. As stated in the project documents, the updated plan will identify water infrastructure needs, water conservation and reuse practices, and methods to identify best management practices for temporary water storage and retention to mitigate downstream flooding.

The updated plan – Ag H2O 2.0 – will serve as a statewide roadmap to ensure farmers have the water they need while helping communities reduce flood impacts.

Support: This project is funded by a $107,250 grant from the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, with additional confirmed support from:

  • National Coastal Resilience Fund (National Fish & Wildlife Foundation) – $50,000 match for Best Management Practice installation
  • NC Farm Bureau Federation – in‑kind staff time, meeting space, and facilitation support
  • Working Group Participants – over $32,000 in volunteer time

Current Work:  The Foundation is reconvening the North Carolina Agriculture Water Work Group, originally established in 2011, to guide development of the updated Ag H₂O Strategic Plan. The planning process is being facilitated by Ed Emory and Dr. Stan Dixon, the same team that led the development of the original 2011 plan. Both bring decades of experience in agricultural water resource management and Extension leadership.

Together with commodity organizations, universities, state and federal agencies, and local Soil & Water Conservation Districts, they are coordinating a structured, statewide stakeholder process that includes:

  • Forming six commodity work groups (Aquaculture; Field Crops; Forestry; Fruit & Vegetable; Green Industry; Livestock & Poultry)
  • Recruiting more than 80 participants from agriculture, research institutions, and government
  • Facilitating two meetings per commodity group and four Steering Committee sessions
  • Identifying current and future water‑use challenges, infrastructure needs, and flood‑mitigation opportunities
  • Developing updated goals, objectives, and action steps for the revised Ag H₂O Strategic Plan

The plan is expected to identify new Best Management Practices (BMPs) and policy recommendations for both water availability and flood mitigation.

Accomplishments: Work is currently underway.  To be updated soon!  A draft of the Plan will be ready Fall 2026.  The Plan will be shared at a statewide Ag H2O Summit, along with stakeholder conferences and events, as well as digitally on this website.

Resources:

Contact
NC Foundation for Soil & Water Conservation
Executive Director: Amanda Sand
Phone: 919-510-4599

Funding for this project is provided by NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission