Funding Available for Conservation in Scott County
Water has always been a defining characteristic in Scott County. Residents from Prior Lake to Belle Plaine to New Prague are surrounded by beautiful shorelines and gently flowing streams. These waterbodies improve our quality of life in so many ways: places of recreation, landscape aesthetics, wildlife habitat, and so much more. To make sure these natural spaces remain, the Scott Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has been awarded funds to carry out water-and-soil-saving conservation-minded projects.
The fund's eligibility area covers much of Scott County, including the land surrounding the Upper and Lower Prior Lake, Spring Lake, Cedar Lake, and Sand Creek watersheds.
Watersheds refer to areas of land that channel rainfall or snowmelt into creeks, streams, and rivers. For example, a corner of shoreline on Spring Lake is an active participant in the Prior Lake-Spring Lake watershed. The meandering section of Sand Creek crossing the dog park in Jordan—including the land covering the dog park’s boundaries—is part of the Sand Creek Watershed. Water that falls into these systems will eventually make their way into the Minnesota River.
What Types of Projects are Eligible?
These grants fund projects that will improve local water quality, which covers a wide variety of project types! All listed projects are designed to be solutions to erosion or flooding concerns. If you don't know where to start, but are experiencing issues with erosion or flooding on your land, or if you're looking to change current land use on your property, SWCD technicians can provide free site visits to discuss what project type is most suitable for you. For a full list of eligible conservation projects, or to request a site visit to your property, call the Scott SWCD at 952-492-5425 or email us at info@scottswcd.org..
Eligible projects include but are not limited to...
Who is Eligible for Funding?
This conservation funding is available to all landowners within the highlighted grant boundaries. If you reside within applicable boundaries and are interested in implementing a conservation project on your property, contact the Scott SWCD office at 952-492-5425 or at info@scottswcd.org.
The grants awarded are funded through the Clean Water Fund portion of the Minnesota’s Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment and the Environmental Protection Agency through a new Nine Elements Grant funding opportunity. Funds go directly towards implementing projects that will improve local water quality.
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Conservation projects can be accomplished by anyone—regardless of experience—with the right resources and support. These grants are expiring soon, so let's get started making improvements to your land today!