A major cause of water quality problems in North Carolina and much of the United States is nonpoint source pollution. Nonpoint source pollution comes from many different sources such as construction, cities and towns, impervious surfaces and agriculture. In agricultural areas, damage to our water resources come from soil erosion, excess nutrients, animal waste contamination and accidental spills of agricultural chemicals.

The ACSP uses more than 60 approved best management practices to address agricultural nonpoint source pollution that fall into the following 5 areas:

1. Sediment/Nutrient losses - BMPs that reduce run-off from cropland and keep sediment and nutrients out of state waterways
2. Animal Waste Management - to biologically treat, stabilize and provide environmentally safe storage of organic waste material
3. Agrichemical Pollution Prevention - to provide an environmentally safe means for mixing and storing of agrichemicals
4. Stream Protection - decreases the amount of sediment and nutrients from entering waterways due to livestock with access to streams and ponds
5. Erosion/Nutrient Reduction - BMPs that minimize farm field erosion and help reduce nutrient application to the field

The NC ACSP is successful in improving and protecting the state's resources through the grassroots efforts of local soil and water conservation districts. The Durham SWCD works with landowners and renters to:

1. Identify best management practices (BMPs) suited to your operations                                            
2. Develop and approve individual conservation plans (Conservation Planning brochure [pdf])
3. Design and oversee installation of BMPs
4. Provide technical assistance to ensure proper operation and maintenance

Who is Eligible?

If you are a landowner or renter of an existing agricultural operation that has been operating for more than three years, you may be eligible to participate in the North Carolina Agriculture Cost Share Program.

How does the program Work?

Potential candidates will submit an application to the Durham SWCD for review by the Board of Supervisors. The applications are ranked based on resource concerns identified in the county. If your application is approved by the Board, a BMP design to address your resource issues will be designed, average cost share reimbursement will be calculated and a final contract between the District, the state and you will be submitted for approval.

Upon final approval from the NC Division of Soil and Water, you may begin work on the installation of the BMP. A predetermined timeline for completion of the BMP will be followed closely.

Participants can be reimbursed up to 75% of a predetermined average cost for each BMP installed. The applicant is responsible for the remaining 25% of the costs. A limited number of BMP components are reimbursed based on an actual cost, but most are based on average cost estimates collected from across the state. This insures that the public funds that are used for ACSP are used economically to insure water quality benefits, while being equal to all participants across the state.