The Scott Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in Jordan recently received a $201,000 Clean Water Fund grant from the Board of Water and Soil Resources. This is the third year in a row that the Scott SWCD received a Clean Water Fund grant. The money is used to help landowners put in conservation practices that help conserve soil and water resources and to address Scott County’s water quality improvement goals.
The Scott SWCD works with interested landowners to determine which practice is best for their site and then custom designs each project to fit each specific site. In most cases, local contractors are hired to install the projects. Once a project is finished, the contractor is paid by the landowner, who is then reimbursed anywhere from 50% to 90% of the cost with funds from the grant.
In past years, farmers have utilized the grant funds to conserve their soil and water resources by installing filter strips, grassed waterways, and water and sediment basins. Rural landowners have restored declining habitat by planting native prairie and with streambank protection projects.
Though none of these projects alone can make a significant difference in water quality, they all contribute. These landowners are doing their part to reduce the amount of pollution entering local water bodies and the new Clean Water Fund grant enables the Scott SWCD to work with even more landowners to put these conservation practices in place. Together, if everyone does their small part, a real difference will be made. If you are interested in learning more about how you can help protect soil and water resources contact the Scott SWCD at 952-492-5425 or visit scottswcd.org.
The grant money can be used for conservation practices such as stabilizing streambanks.