Clinton lands $100,000 state water quality grant

May 3—DES MOINES — Clinton is among more than a dozen Iowa communities that will receive grant money to improve water quality, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced Wednesday.

Clinton will receive a $100,000 grant through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship for the city's Frog Hollow Wetland Restoration Project. Clinton is building a stormwater wetland to capture runoff from a 124-acre drainage area that includes industrial activities and a high percentage of impervious surfaces. The wetland will help control urban runoff and reduce the movement of sediment in the watershed.

Under the grant program, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is partnering in 16 urban water quality projects, including Clinton's, and is utilizing the state's Water Quality Initiative and funding from the Conservation Infrastructure Program to provide cost-share grants that cover up to 50% of the total cost of each project.

The overall cost of the 16 projects is expected to be approximately $14.6 million, which includes $2.8 million from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and $11.8 million from local sources.

Other communities receiving funding are Altoona, Calmar, Peosta, Cambridge, Cedar Rapids, Center Point, Coralville, Des Moines, Johnston, Montezuma, Oskaloosa, Polk City, Polk County, and Waukee.

"Whether you live in an urban, suburban or rural area, all Iowans have an important role in protecting and improving our state's water quality," Naig said. "As we accelerate our statewide water quality efforts and work collaboratively with local partners, these urban cost-share grants help to leverage significant water quality investment by communities of all sizes."

The Iowa Water Quality Initiative was established in 2013 to help implement the Nutrient Reduction Strategy, which is a science and technology-based approach to protecting and improving water quality. The strategy brings together both point sources, such as municipal wastewater treatment plants and industrial facilities, and nonpoint sources, including farm fields and urban stormwater runoff, to address these issues.

The Initiative seeks to harness the collective ability of both private and public resources and organizations to deliver a clear and consistent message to stakeholders to reduce nutrient loss and improve water quality.

To receive state funding, the urban water quality projects must include education and outreach components and involve local partners. These community-based projects raise awareness about new stormwater management methods and encourage others to adopt similar infrastructure-based practices to improve water quality. The urban conservation projects include water quality practices like bioretention cells, bioswales, native plantings, permeable pavers, rain gardens, soil quality restoration, and wetlands.

Wednesday's grant announcement coincides with Soil and Water Conservation Week, which Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has proclaimed to be recognized from April 30 through May 7 in Iowa.