Watershed Committee nabs $255K grant

The Watershed Committee of the Ozarks received a $255,551 grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for restoration and improvements to the Little Sac River.

Utilizing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funding under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act and administered through the DNR, the project will focus on reducing bacteria in the Upper Little Sac River basin through implementation of recognized practices to reduce pollution from stormwater runoff, according to a news release.

The WCO will contribute $172,910 over the life of the project, bringing the total cost to $428,461.

The Little Sac River begins at the north edge of Springfield and Strafford to form Fellows and McDaniel lakes and flows 41.5 miles north into Stockton Lake, according to WCO. The 390-square-mile watershed encompasses the towns of Willard, Walnut Grove and Morrisville and the three lakes are public drinking water sources for Springfield and Greene County residents.
 
Expected to be complete by spring 2017, water quality improvement efforts include stream-bank stabilization, prescribed grazing systems, bank vegetative buffers and alternative livestock watering sources.