Access USDA drought assistance covering the cost of hauling water to livestock
domain: fsa.usda.gov · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
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Steps
Confirm your county has reached the drought-intensity trigger on the U.S. Drought Monitor: D2 (severe drought) for 8 consecutive weeks during the normal grazing period, or D3/D4 at any point, qualifies for ELAP water-hauling assistance
Confirm the water is being hauled to eligible livestock on eligible grazing land where an adequate watering system existed before the drought and hauling was not normally required
Apply through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) at your local FSA county office
Track eligible cost categories only: personal labor, equipment, hired labor, and contracted water transportation fees are covered; the cost of the water itself is not reimbursed
Keep hauling logs, contracted-hauler invoices, and drought-monitor documentation on file to support the ELAP claim
Known gotchas
ELAP does not pay for the water itself — only the transportation/hauling cost — so a hauling business quoting to a rancher should separate the two line items to keep the customer's claim clean
The D2-for-8-weeks threshold was a policy update lowering the bar from the earlier D3 requirement — a hauler citing older drought program materials could understate current customer eligibility
Eligibility depends on water hauling not having been 'normally required' before the drought — a producer who already regularly trucks water in for other reasons may not qualify for this specific benefit
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