The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, in conjunction with conservation districts and participating banks, provides low-interest loan money to agricultural land owners for installation of conservation practices that reduce nonpoint source pollution impacts to water quality. 

Any interested agricultural land owner should contact his or her local conservation district to obtain an application. Once a completed application has been returned to the conservation district and endorsed by the conservation district, the applicant is eligible to receive a low-interest loan of up to $250,000 from any participating bank so long as the applicant is approved by the bank.  An applicant may be an individual, fiduciary, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation.

The participating bank shall determine the interest rate in conjunction with the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission.  The participating bank shall determine the loan terms, but in no case will such a term exceed twenty years.

Eligible practices for these loans are:

• Construction of tail water recovery systems
• Construction of irrigation reservoirs
• Purchase of no-till drills
• Construction of stacking sheds
• Construction of ponds and fencing for livestock
• Land-leveling

All applicants shall agree to maintain the project for the term of the loan and to allow site inspections by USDA NRCS during the duration of the loan agreement.

Below are the updated AgWQLP Handbook and other forms/information necessary for loan application:

Agriculture Water Quality Loan Program Handbook 
Agriculture Water Quality Loan Project Plan Application
Funding Application (pdf savable/fillable)
Certificate of Qualification (pdf savable/fillable)
Financial Institution Quarterly Report (excel savable/fillable)
Financial Institution Quarterly Report (pdf savable/fillable)
Conservation District Quarterly Tracking (pdf savable/fillable) 
Project Inspection (pdf savable/fillable)
Approval Letter (word, fully editable)
Denial Letter (word, fully editable)
Participation Survey for land owner/lessee (pdf savable/fillable)
Conservation District Survey (pdf savable/fillable)

Applications may be scanned and submitted via email to ANRC.Applications@agriculture.arkansas.gov

Contact: 
Debby Dickson, Water Development Section Manager
Arkansas Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Division
Phone: (501) 682-0548
Email: debra.dickson@arkansas.gov