Jane Hardisty, state conservationist for Indiana’s USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, announced today NRCS is accepting applications from July 1 through July 17 for funding to improve water quality in several watersheds in northern Indiana.

NRCS is investing dollars through the Regional Conservation Partnership Project in the western Lake Erie basin and St. Joseph River watersheds that will help improve water quality and strengthen agricultural operations. Funding for these RCPP watersheds comes from the Farm Bill’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

“We are working with local and state partners to encourage farmers to put in conservation practices in these targeted watersheds that will address water quality concerns and help improve soil health and agricultural production,” Hardisty said. “By targeting dollars to these geographic areas we can make a greater impact on the health of our streams and rivers, and ultimately the Great Lakes.”

RCPP helps eligible producers adopt conservation practices to improve water quality. Conservation systems implemented in these areas will reduce the amount of nutrients flowing from agricultural land into waterways, curb erosion and improve the resiliency of working lands in the face of droughts and floods.

“These conservation practices will help clean and conserve water, make agricultural operations more resilient and stimulate rural economies,” said Hardisty.

Farmers in the following watersheds are eligible for funding:

Western Lake Erie Basin

Land in the entire Western Lake Erie Basin is eligible for EQIP RCPP funding, including land in Steuben, Noble, Dekalb, Allen, Wells and Adams counties. Five sub-watersheds in the western Lake Erie basin watershed will be targeted as high priority: Trier Ditch, Black Creek, Marsh Ditch-Maumee River, Nickelsen Creek and Blue Creek.

St. Joseph River Watershed

Funding will be targeted in seven counties in northern Indiana including: St. Joseph, Elkhart, Kosciusko, Lagrange, Noble, Steuben and DeKalb. Priority areas within these counties will be determined by a priority ranking based on natural resource concerns.

All applications for funding consideration must be received by July 17

To learn more about RCPP in Indiana, click here.