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Kandiyoi Soil and Water asks county for $420,800 match to leverage state and federal conservation grants
Summary
The Kandiyoi Soil and Water Conservation District requested $420,800 from the county to serve as local match money that unlocks state and federal grants for private‑lands conservation; staff outlined watershed priorities, erosion and well‑water contamination concerns.
Margaret Johnson, executive director of the Kandiyoi Soil and Water Conservation District, presented the district's 2026 budget request and a summary of conservation priorities to the county board on Tuesday. The district requested $420,800 from Kandiyoi County, an amount that Johnson said represents about 23% of the district's budget; the remainder comes from state and federal grants.
Johnson told commissioners that district funding is used primarily as local match money that unlocks larger state and federal programs, and that the dollar multiplier is significant: she said every $1 spent on conservation in the county generates about $1.81 locally through contracts and purchase of materials. She outlined the district's work areas—technical assistance, planning and watershed work—and noted that recent very wet summers have increased demand for services including grassed waterways, erosion control and well capping or decommissioning.
On water quality, Johnson said 40% of tested county lakes are listed as impaired, and that irrigated agricultural land and drainage issues complicate prioritization. She also highlighted well contamination as a pressing problem: "If you are on a well please just go and look at your well cap," she said, noting that any well with nitrate levels above 10 mg/L is considered unsafe for continuing use.
Johnson said the district uses local contractors and co‑ops to perform work and that the program supports private landowners with technical and sometimes financial assistance. The request is for information at Tuesday's meeting; the district will return with formal requests if the board chooses to act during budget deliberations.
Why it matters: Johnson framed the request as essential to unlocking larger grant funds the district needs to serve a county with many waterways and agricultural acres. Commissioners thanked the district for long‑running volunteer climatology and monitoring programs and discussed prioritization of watershed, quality and quantity issues across the county.
Next steps: The presentation was informational. Johnson said the district would return with further details when the county considers budget and levy matters.
