MWCD Approves Up to $1.4 Million in Grants to Improve Water Quality
February 10, 2022
Members of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) Board of Directors approved up to $1.4 million in grants to eleven organizations.
The grant program, Partners in Watershed Management (PWM), provides maintenance assessment funds to assist local organizations to implement water quality projects, flood reduction and mitigation programs, and watershed education efforts throughout the 18 counties within the MWCD. Since its inception in 2009 this program has provided over $10.7 million in grant funding for 156 projects.
“There is a tremendous need across the watershed to provide funding to communities, universities and other conservation organizations for projects that protect citizens,” said Craig Butler, MWCD Executive Director. “These projects help to prevent costly flooding, minimize soil erosion and nutrient loss from agricultural operations, assist with upgrading essential community services, and preserve and rehabilitate sensitive lands for public use. MWCD is proud to be a sponsor of these projects as they support our core mission and allow us to give back to the communities that are in our backyard.”
The grant program is highly competitive with a multi-step review process to ensure the best projects receive grant dollars. All applications are reviewed by MWCD staff and a select group of volunteer industry experts prior to the Chief Engineer and Chief of Conservation recommending applications for approval to the Executive Director, and the Board of Directors.
Applications for the next grant award cycle are due to MWCD by close of business on September 1, 2022. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact MWCD to discuss their projects at least 30 days prior to the application deadline to learn more about the application process and have their applications preliminarily screened for eligibility. Please contact Lynn Gilland, Administrative Specialist at 330-556-4817 or by email at [email protected]. Further information about the PWM Program including can be found at MWCD.Org.
The 2021/ 2022 Partners in Watershed Management Grant Recipients are listed below:
Applicant | County | Project Title | Project Cost | Amount Requested | Amount Recommended | ||||||
Ashland SWCD | Ashland
| Manure application for tools for small/hobby farms | $9,050 | $6,650 | $6,000 | ||||||
Carroll SWCD | Carroll | Project soil-health toolbox | $77,680 | $67,620 | $60,000 | ||||||
City of Barberton | Summit | South Barberton Green infrastructure phase 1 | $239,310 | $75,000 | $70,000 | ||||||
City of Zanesville* | Muskingum | Muskingum Avenue Improvements (Muskingum River) | $6,227,580 | $600,000 | $500,000 | ||||||
Coshocton County Engineer | Coshocton | Clark Twp TR 25 Bridge Replacement (Tributary to Killbuck Creek) | $148,654 | $118,923 | $85,000 | ||||||
Harrison SWCD | Harrison | Soil Health Initiative | $39,638 | $38,612 | $35,000 | ||||||
Morgan County Commissioners* | Morgan | Flood Mitigation Feasibility Study (Muskingum River) | $350,000 | $87,500 | $84,000 | ||||||
North Central Ohio Land Conservancy | Richland | Watershed Protection Along the Clear Fork | $40,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | ||||||
Northern Tuscarawas Land Trust* | Tuscarawas | Comanita Property Acquisition (Tuscarawas River) | $1,184,423 | $296,106 | $290,000 | ||||||
Rural Action | Coshocton | Hellbender Salamander Water Quality Monitoring and Breeding Habitat | $96,594 | $68,415 | $50,000 | ||||||
South Licking Watershed Conservancy District | Licking | Flood damage reduction planning | $250,000 | $200,000 | $200,000 | ||||||
*PWM award recommendation contingent upon successful receipt of other anticipated sources of grant funding. | Subtotal | $8,622,929 | 41,578,826 | $1,400,000 | |||||||
Applications Under Further Consideration |
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North Central Ohio Land Conservancy | Richland | Watershed protection Along the Clear Fork (Malabar Farms) | $10,880 | $10,000 | N/A |
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About Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
The MWCD, a political subdivision of the state, was organized in 1933 to develop and implement a plan to reduce flooding and conserve water for beneficial public uses in the Muskingum River Watershed, the largest wholly contained watershed in Ohio. Since their construction, the 16 reservoirs and dams in the MWCD region have been credited for saving over $7 billion worth of potential property damage from flooding, according to the federal government, as well as providing popular recreational opportunities that bolster the region’s economy. A significant portion of the reservoirs are managed by the MWCD and the dams are managed for flood-risk management by the federal U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). For more information about the MWCD, visit www.mwcd.org and follow the MWCD on Facebook and Twitter.
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