Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program 

– Idaho Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer

(CREP)

Overview

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

and the State of Idaho are partners in 

implementing a voluntary Conservation 

Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to 

enroll up to 50,000 acres of agricultural land 

within the State of Idaho. The Idaho Eastern 

Snake Plain Aquifer CREP is intended to 

reduce the amount of irrigation water use, 

conserve energy, and reduce the amount of 

agricultural chemicals and sediment entering 

the waters of Idaho from agricultural lands. 

Background

CREP is a voluntary land retirement 

program that helps agricultural producers 

protect environmentally sensitive land, 

decrease erosion, restore wildlife habitat, 

and safeguard ground and surface water. 

CREP is part of the USDA Conservation 

Reserve Program (CRP). CRP is a federally 

funded voluntary program that contracts 

with agricultural producers so that 

environmentally sensitive agricultural land 

is not farmed or ranched, but instead used 

for conservation benefits. CRP participants 

establish permanent, resource-conserving 

plant species, such as approved grasses or 

trees (known as “covers”) to control soil 

erosion, improve water quality and develop 

wildlife habitat. In return, the Farm Service 

Agency (FSA) provides participants with 

rental payments and cost-share assistance.

With CREP, high-priority conservation goals 

are identified by the state, and then federal 

funds are supplemented with non-federal 

funds to achieve those goals.

Through the Idaho Eastern Snake Plain 

Aquifer CREP, federal and state resources 

are made available to program participants 

to voluntarily enroll in CRP for 10- to 

11-year contracts. Participants remove 

cropland from agricultural production and 

convert the land to grasses, trees, or other 

approved vegetation. This will enhance 

wildlife habitat in the area and improve 

water quality by reducing the pollutants that 

enter streams and rivers.

Goals

The goals of the Idaho Eastern Snake Plain 

Aquifer CREP include:

• To cease the application of water on up to 

50,000 acres of irrigated cropland;

• To reduce consumptive water use from 

the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer by up to 

100,000 acre-feet annually; and

• To provide up to 50,000 additional acres 

of native grassland habitat for wildlife.

Eligible Conservation 

Practices

The following specific CRP conservation 

practices are available:

• CP2, Establishment of Permanent 

Native Grasses

• CP4D, Permanent Wildlife Habitat 

For More Info

CREP is one option under CRP 

that farmers and ranchers may 

select to enhance their land. 

Eligible producers may also enroll 

land in CRP through the general, 

continuous, or grassland signups; 

however, CREP may provide 

additional benefits not available 

through those signup types such 

as higher incentive payments 

and longer contract lengths that 

increase the total amount of rental 

payments received.

For more information on this 

project, contact your local service 

center and USDA Farm Service 

Agency office: farmers.gov/

service-locator.

Idaho State Farm Service Agency

9173 West Barnes Drive 

Suite B

Boise, ID 83709

Phone: (208) 378-5650 

Fax: (855) 516-8875

This fact sheet is provided for 

informational purposes only; other 

restrictions or requirements may 

apply.

MARCH 2022 IDAHO
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. fsa.usda.gov

CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM 2

Enrollment 

and Eligibility 

Requirements

Enrollment in CRP through the Idaho 

Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer CREP is 

on a continuous basis. To be eligible, 

land must be irrigated cropland located 

in the project area. Cropland must be 

physically and legally capable of being 

planted in a normal manner to an 

agricultural commodity and have been 

irrigated at a rate of at least one-half 

acre-foot per acre per year for four of 

the last six years. 

Payments

Under the Idaho Eastern Snake Plain 

Aquifer CREP, eligible participants may 

receive the following payments:

• An annual rental payment based 

on county per-acre irrigated rental 

rates, as determined by CCC

• A cost-share payment of up to 50 

percent of the eligible cost to install 

approved conservation practices

Credit to “Idaho Fish and Game”. 

In addition, the State of Idaho will 

make an annual payment equal to 13 

percent of the CCC per acre annual 

rental payment. 

Enrollment Options

CREP is another option under CRP 

that farmer and ranchers may select to 

enhance their land. Eligible producers 

may still enroll eligible land in CRP 

through general or continuous 

enrollment authority; however, the 

Idaho Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer 

CREP provides additional benefits, not 

available through the general and/or 

continuous enrollment. 

Haying and Grazing

Contact your local FSA office for more 

information about authorized haying 

and grazing activities.