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South Fork Wildcat Stewardship Initiative Cost-Share Program
According to the Natural Resources Commission, the South Fork Wildcat Creek is part of Indiana’s State Scenic River System, a State Heritage Program Site, a designated Canoe Trail, and is a High Water Quality River. Despite these unique designations, approximately 44% (US EPA) of the total 86 stream miles within the South Fork Wildcat Creek Watershed do not meet or are not expected to meet the State’s water quality standards and are included on the Indiana Department of Environmental Managements 303 (d) list of impaired waterways for E. coli, nutrients, and low dissolved oxygen. Due to the watershed’s unique designations and the documented impairments, the South Fork Wildcat Creek has been the focus of several CCSWCD-led community initiatives and environmental studies. In 2012, the CCSWCD led a project resulting in the completion of a comprehensive Watershed Management Plan for the S. Fork Wildcat Creek which allowed the CCSWCD and stakeholders to develop and implement a restoration strategy to address water quality concerns.
The CCSWCD and its Partners were awarded a grant from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s Non-point Source Management Program (Section 319) to continue working with producers to implement practices such as cover crops, heavy use area protection, conservation cover, grassed waterways, livestock exclusion fencing, blind inlets, 2-stage ditches, and other approved practices. These grant dollars are passed down to the states from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address the Federal Clean Water Act, which provides funding resources to enable local stakeholders to voluntarily improve and protect water quality in ditches, streams, rivers and lakes in their communities.
To view the South Fork Wildcat Watershed Management Plan click here.
Abandoned Water Well Decommission Cost-Share Program
The Clinton County Soil and Water Conservation District has an ongoing cost-share incentive for rural landowners who have identified and would like to plug and cap abandoned water wells on their property. The CCSWCD may provide cost-share for well closure at a rate of 75% of actual costs up to $700.00 per well. Decommissioning of the well may not begin until an application has been received and approved by the SWCD Board of Supervisors.
Abandoned water wells provide a direct conduit to groundwater, which is the source of drinking water for virtually all homes in Clinton County. These wells present a potentially serious threat to groundwater quality and some cases may present a physical safety hazard where a child or pet may fall into a well. Plugging an abandoned well can eliminate these risks on your property.
Clean Water Indiana Cost-Share Program
The Clean Water Indiana (CWI) Program was established to provide financial assistance to landowners and conservation groups in the State of Indiana. The financial assistance supports the implementation of conservation practices which will reduce non-point sources of pollution through education, technical assistance, training, and financial incentives (cost-share). The CWI fund is administered by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Division of Soil Conservation under the direction of the State Soil Conservation Board.
The Clinton County SWCD received funds through the competitive grants program and will utilize the funds to provide a cost-share program that will focus on practices consistent with conservation cropping systems such as cover crops, transition to no-till, integrated crop management and gypsum application. In addition cost-share funds will be available for soil testing to ag. producers not currently subscribing to regular soil testing on farm field(s) and using fertility information to help develop a plan for nutrient management using the 4R principles—right source, rate, time and place.
