The Dearborn, Ohio, and Switzerland County’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts are now accepting applications from landowners who may be seeking assistance for conservation practices, through a Clean Water Indiana grant program. The SWCDs are working together to provide this opportunity for the landowners in all three counties.

The Clean Water Indiana Program was established to provide financial assistance to landowners and conservation groups. The financial assistance supports the implementation of conservation practices which will reduce nonpoint sources of water pollution through education, technical assistance, training, and cost sharing programs. The CWI fund is administered by the Division of Soil Conservation under the direction of the State Soil Conservation Board.

The CWI Program is responsible for providing local matching funds as well as grants for sediment and nutrient reduction projects through Indiana’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts. CWI also contributes critical state matching funds for Indiana’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, an initiative which utilizes federal funds to encourage landowners to conserve environmentally sensitive land.

This is a cost share program that will reimburse the landowner(s) for expenses derived from installing specific conservation practices that are funded through the CWI grant. Conservation practices that are available for reimbursement will be: Cover Crops, Exclusion Fence, Pasture/Hay Planting, Heavy Use Area Protection Pads, Livestock Pipeline, Guttering, Spring Development, Livestock Watering Facility, Livestock Water Well, Rain Garden, and components related to any of the practices listed. A resource concern(s) must be present for eligibility of the practice(s), and a field visit will be done by an SWCD staff member, to do a complete resource inventory and plan.

The first deadline for applications is Friday, March 15. Funding is limited to $14,725 for each county, with a maximum of $3,000 per landowner. Applications will be accepted until all funds are allocated. A ranking process is in place to determine who will be funded.

Anyone interested in more information, or needing an application, may apply in person or phone Dearborn or Switzerland County Soil and Water Conservation District office. Dearborn County SWCD is the contact office for Dearborn and Ohio County landowners, at 10729 Randall Ave., Aurora, 47001, or phone 812-926-2406 extension 3; Switzerland County SWCD office is located at 105 E. Pike Street, Vevay, 47043 or phone 812-427-3126 extension 3.