SWCD receives EPA 319 funding to support area watersheds

The Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District works with land owners across the county to preserve and protect the water sheds and soil resources in the area. The SWCD is a state agency, and District Manager Ilena Hansel told WTIP that one of the many projects that the organization is working on focusses on small watersheds.

Hansel said that the SWCD will use funds awarded through the Environmental Protection Agency’s 319 program to support property owners in efforts to protect area watersheds. The grant would provide support for eight to ten years, and the SWCD has opted to use the money to initial target work on the Devil Track River watershed.

This is the first year of funding, and Hansel said that while the Devil Track River watershed is the primary focus, they plan to include neighboring watersheds over the course of the grant. The work that could be included in the project may vary. Hansel said that addressing the health of the watershed could include things like planting buffers or making adjustments to culverts, both of which can help with soil erosion in the area of the watershed.

Hansel encouraged property owners in the area to contact the SWCD to find out what options resources they may have access to help protect the watershed. She said, “The projects can be really small or really big. They can be hands on, or education outreach materials, you know, maybe working with landowners to say, hey, get your septic system, you know, improved just the it’s a large scope of things, just to try to help maintain that water.”

WTIP’s CJ Heithoff spoke with Ilena Hansel about the EPA 319 funding that has been awarded to the SWCD. Audio of that interview is below.

Kirsten Wisniewski November 22, 2024