Sandusky River Watershed Critical Area Improvement Project
Main Project Sponsor: Seneca County Soil & Water Conservation District
Other Contacts Include: Crawford, Sandusky, and Wyandot County SWCD's.
Project Start Date:July 1, 2002. Project End Date:June 30, 2005.
Project Area: Crawford, Sandusky, Seneca, and Wyandot Counties
Project Funding: $350,000+
Contact your local SWCD for more information.
Project Goals:
1. Stabilizing Sinkholes: Provide cost-share to landowners for stabilizing sinkholes and establishing a filter strip around the sinkhole area. This practice will stabilize the grade and control erosion at sinkholes and concentrate flow areas across filter strips to reduce the transport of agricultural pollutants to groundwater and/or surface watercourses. There will be a 75% cost share per practice, not to exceed $3,000.
2. Conservation Tillage Equiptment: Provide cost-share payments and incentive payments to ag producers to employ conservation tillage methods for corn production. By increasing the adoption of conservation tillage acres, this practice will reduce sheet and rill erosion and the resultant transport of sediment and related nutrients and pesticides to watercourses.
3. Improved Animal Manure Utilization: There are several cost-share/incentive payments available to livestock produceres for waste management practices. If a livestock producer has a permit issued by Ohio EPA, or has a discharge that requires such a permit, that operation is not eligible for 319 funds dealing with waste management. Livestock producers wishing to receive 319 funds for waste management practices must have a written nutreint management plan with their local SWCD office. Cost share for practices includes 20% for manure handling equiptment, 50% for the installation of waste treatment lagoons, 50% for roof runoff management, 50% for livestock exclusion, and 50% for water facilities for livestock.
4. Installation of Roadside Filter Strip: Another area for incentive payments is to landowners who are willing to install a roadside filter strip. The installation of a roadside filter strip will reduce sediment, particulat organics, some nutrients, pesticides, and bacteria in surface water runoff. Due to concerns about cropping history, please check with your local SWCD to get more information on this particular practice.
How to Apply: An interested cooperator must fill out an application form and have it approved by the SWCD Joint Board of Supervisors in order to receive payments. Payments cannot be made to reimburse a cooperator for any purchase made or practice installed prior to receiving approval fromt he Joint Board. Applications will be available after July 1, 2002 at your local SWCD office, equiptment dealerships, County Engineers offices, and local extension offices. There is $350,000 available for payments to Sandusky Watershed residents.
Other Information: A low interest rate loan throught the Ohio EPA Division of Environmental and Finanacial Assistance (DEFA) may be used to help cover the cooperator's portion of the cost for the above practices. For information on how to apply for a loan from DEFA, contact your local SWCD about this grant program and the DEFA loan program.
Crawford Co SWCD 419-562-2203, Sandusky Co SWCD 419-334-6324, Seneca Co SWCD 419-447-7073, Wyandot Co SWCD 419-294-2312.
