Nearly $200,000 in state grants awarded for watershed quality projects in Winneshiek County

Lake Meyer (Photo courtesy of Winneshiek County Conservation Board)

The State of Iowa has handed out nearly $1 million in grants to eleven watershed quality improvement projects in Iowa--and two of those 11 projects are in Winneshiek County.

The Dry Run Creek Watershed Improvement Association is getting a $99,750 grant, while the Winneshiek County Soil and Water Conservation District is getting a $63,570 grant for a project at Lake Meyer.

"These projects are a partnership between federal, state and local organizations that are committed to improving Iowa's water quality," said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey.  "By supporting projects that address runoff and drainage, sedimentation, urban stormwater, groundwater pollution, flooding, and a number of other issues, these projects are focused on issues that directly impact the state's waterways and water quality."

The approved projects have already completed watershed assessments that identified critical water resource areas and will focus on implementing specific water quality or flood reduction improvements.  The projects will start after a grant agreement is signed between the applicant and the Watershed Improvement Review Board.