Area water organizations receive $2M in grant funding

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources recently awarded $2.1 million to three separate local projects with a common goal, improving water quality in southwest Missouri. Watershed Committee of the Ozarks and the Upper White River Basin Foundation received $1 million apiece, and Missouri State University's Project WET, water education for teachers, received $103,759, according to a news release from DNR.

"The department is honored to be part of these projects and is thrilled (with) the proactive measures these organizations continue to take to help protect and improve water quality in their communities," DNR Director Sara Parker Pauley said in the release.

Watershed Committee of the Ozarks and its partner agencies -  including the city of Springfield and Greene County, City Utilities and the Springfield-Greene County Park Board - will use the funding for development of the Springfield/Greene County Urban Watershed Stewardship Project. The project, expected to be complete by April 2015, aims to reduce pollution in James River and Little Sac River by managing stormwater runoff at four watersheds.

The grant requires the Watershed Committee to match a portion of the funding, bringing the total to $1.7 million.

Funding provided to the Upper White River Basin Foundation - a nonprofit that promotes water quality on the upper White River and Beaver, Table Rock, Taneycomo and Bull Shoals lakes - will be used to create a local revolving loan and grant fund. The program, estimated to cost $1.1 million and be complete in July 2015, would provide financial assistance to area residents needing repair or replacement of failing on-site wastewater treatment systems in the Table Rock Lake Watershed, the release said.

MSU will partially match the DNR grant for Project WET, bringing the total up to $172,935.The grant will help the project provides a statewide series of water quality education workshops, specifically related to stormwater pollution in 13 Missouri counties. The project is expected to be complete by December 2014.[[In-content Ad]]