Government : Watershed Improvement Review Board approved Benton Project

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship issued a press release announcing that the Watershed Improvement Review Board recently approved eight applications totaling $1,506,309 in grants to support projects that will improve water quality or reduce flooding in the state. The grant funds will be matched by recipients who will provide approximately $3.4 million in funding from the local communities to support these projects. As a result, $4.9 million will be going to improve priority watersheds throughout the state.

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. Soil and water conservation districts, public water supply utilities, counties, county conservation boards, cities, and local watershed improvement committees were eligible to apply. Individual projects can request up to $500,000. The Watershed Improvement Review Board is comprised of representatives from agriculture, drinking water and wastewater utilities, environmental organizations, agribusiness, and the conservation community along with two state senators and two state representatives. The program was created in 2005 by the House Republican Chair of the House Environmental Protection Committee at that time, who is now serving in the State Senate, Senator Greiner. Benton County was among them. Watershed Name Organization Project Length County Grant Amount Iowa SWCD 3-years Iowa,Benton $102,695