NEW PHILADELPHIA – Members of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) Board of Directors approved up to $1.1 million in grants to ten organizations at their meeting held Nov. 18, 2022.
The Partners in Watershed Management Program (PWM), approved by the Board of Directors in June of 2009, provides funds to assist communities, political subdivisions, government agencies, and not-for profit groups in implementing 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 $12.2 million in grant funding for 177 projects.
20 applications totaling over $2.5 Million for funding assistance were received in the 2022-2023 grant cycle. All applications were initially reviewed by MWCD staff with many applications going through an independent technical review.
“We again are pleased to invest our resources in these very important projects across the district that match with our growing emphasis on conservation,” 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.”
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 in the fields of dam safety/flood control, floodplain management, green best management practices, and watershed management/water quality, 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 Sept. 1, 2023. 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 lgilland@mwcd.org. Further information about the PWM Program including can be found at MWCD.Org.
| Applicant | County | Project Title | Project Cost | Amount Requested | Amount Recommended | ||||||
| Ashland SWCD | Ashland
| Cover Crop Crimper
Roller | $31,910 | $28,910 | $28,910 | ||||||
| Muskingum County
Engineer | Muskingum | Wills Creek Road
Culvert Replacement | $300,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 | ||||||
| Nobles Pond Drainage District* | Stark | Nobles Pond
Drainage Project | $462,501 | $213,341 | $213,341 | ||||||
| Northern Tuscarawas
Land Trust* | Tuscarawas | Dreher Property
Acquisition | $374,600 | $93,650 | $93,650 | ||||||
| Ohio State Agricultural
Technical Institute | Wayne | Drainage Water
Management Tools | $150,430 | $73,100 | $73,100 | ||||||
| Plain Township Board of Trustees* | Stark | Monarch Meadows
Preserve | $564,500 | $141,125 | $141,125 | ||||||
| Village of McConnelsville | Morgan | McConnel Run
Watershed Flood Control | $131,151 | $75,813 | $75,813 | ||||||
| Washington County Commissioners/MCC | Washington | County Home Creek
Restoration Project | $66,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | ||||||
| Western Reserve Land Conservancy* | Stark | Dorn Forest Preserve | $746,911 | $154,000 | $154,000 | ||||||
| Zoar Community
Association | Tuscarawas | Zoar Goose Run
Conservation Project | $54,000 | $47,000 | $47,000 | ||||||
| *PWM award recommendation contingent upon successful receipt of other anticipated sources of grant funding. | Subtotal | $2,882,003 | $1,136,940 | $1,136,940 | |||||||
| Applications Under Further Consideration | |||||||||||
| Ashland Cemetery
Association | Ashland | Ashland Cemetery Streambank Stabilization | $263,200 | $262,000 | N/A | ||||||
| City of Barberton | Summit | South Barberton
Flood Mitigation | $345,925 | $263,035 | N/A | ||||||
| City of Marietta | Washington | City of Marietta-
Streambank Stabilization | $110,000 | $110,000 | N/A | ||||||
| Richland SWCD | Richland | Black Fork Log Jam
Removal | $124,132 | $120,000 | N/A | ||||||
| Stillwater Watershed
Partners | Harrison/
Belmont | Stillwater H&H Analysis | $200,000 | $100,000 | N/A | ||||||
| Tusc. SWCD | Tuscarawas | Village of Baltic
Streambank Stabilization | $110,120 | $109,080 | N/A | ||||||
| Village of McConnelsville | Morgan | Floodplain Property
Acquisition | $92,700 | $92,700 | N/A | ||||||
