DES MOINES — Beginning March 28, Iowa groups looking for help implementing innovative, regional and locally led Clean Water Awareness and Education Campaigns can apply for funding from the Iowa DNR Watershed Improvement Section.
Through a grant program, the DNR looks for proposals that clearly demonstrate an ability to put in place innovative, targeted, impactful and sustainable Clean Water Awareness and Education Campaigns.
The DNR seeks to award grants to eligible local entities to develop and implement locally led Clean Water Awareness and Education programs. Educational campaigns will improve public knowledge of and promote actions to reduce nonpoint source pollution and improve water quality. The DNR seeks projects that will use innovative methods for reaching diverse audiences and stakeholder groups.
Campaigns must be achievable in the grant's 18-month timeframe and within the funding amount requested.
Applications are due by close of business May 31. Successful applicants will be awarded contracts beginning no later than Oct. 15, 2019, and ending no later than Apr. 30, 2021 (18 months).
These grants were developed after the DNR contracted with the University of Northern Iowa to survey Iowa’s residents in 2015 to measure their knowledge of water quality and identify potential behavior changes. This is the next step in the Nonpoint Source Management Plan. (For more details, see Objective 2.5 of Goal 2 of Iowa’s Nonpoint Source Management Plan and the results of the survey). The survey will be repeated when grant-based educational campaigns are completed to track progress. The first round of Education Campaign contracts were awarded in Dec. 2018 and projects are ongoing.
For more information and grant application materials, visit iowadnr.gov/watershed. Contact Steve Konrady, DNR, at 515-725-8388 or Steven.Konrady@dnr.iowa.gov with your questions.