INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) and the Indiana State Soil Conservation Board(SSCB) recently announced that 16 soil and water conservation districts and one organization were awarded over $1.3 million in Clean Water Indiana competitive grant funding. This funding will support water quality improvements across the state. The Jennings County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) was one of the recipients.
The state’s soil conservation board administers the Clean Water Indiana program. Led by the ISDA, it provides financial assistance to landowners and conservation groups working to reduce runoff from non-point sources of water pollution, whether on agricultural land, urban areas, or eroding streambanks.
Once received, districts can use the funds to partner with other counties or address specific needs within their jurisdiction. Some examples include participating in a cost-share program, hiring staff, providing technical assistance, implementing cover crop incentive programs, or increasing watershed capacity.
Clean Water Indiana (CWI) is managed by ISDA’s Division of Soil Conservation and funded by a portion of the state’s cigarette tax. Projects can be up to three years in length and grantees could apply for any dollar amount that was necessary to complete the project. In addition to CWI funds, each grantee is required to produce a match for their project, which can be cash or in-kind.
Jennings County SWCD was awarded $50,000:
The Jennings County SWCD and the Ripley County SWCD will provide cost-share to private landowners within Jennings and Ripley counties to start or continue cover crops, forage, and biomass planting, and installation of heavy-use area protection practices
