As cities drink from more rural land, federal agency helps farmers manage water to help both areas

Texas ranchers are squeezing water from their land to supply the cities, reports Asher Price in the Austin American-Statesman. As water supplies become more valuable, conservationists say proper range management is needed. The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service has begun an effort it calls "Rural Land-Urban Water," offering eligible farmers and ranchers financial and technical help to implement water-conservation practices, such as cutting down trees like cedars and junipers, which draw heavily from groundwater. A video shows how one farmer rejuvenated a spring on his property, to the delight of his wife.

A landowner who enters into a contract with the NRCS bears 40 percent of the cost and the federal government pays 60 percent. The land has to be in production to qualify, and contracts are typically from one to three years, Price reports. (Read more) April 27 will mark the 75th anniversary of the NRCS, once known as the Soil Conservation Service.