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County Soil and Water official outlines $300,000 watershed grant, free soil testing and local projects
Summary
Vanderburgh County Soil and Water reported a $300,000 319 implementation grant for the Lower Pigeon watershed, a $20,000 Clean Water Indiana grant, free soil sampling under a soil-health grant and significant local match leverage.
Megan Klink, department head for Vanderburgh County Soil and Water, briefed commissioners on the department’s staffing, current grants and local projects on April 22.
Klink said the office has two full-time employees and operates out of the USDA service center. She described an active 319 implementation grant of $300,000 focused on the Lower Pigeon Watershed that began in 2024 and runs through 2026; projects under that grant include rainwater collection at Evansville Countryside Orchard, a large tree-planting in North Evansville, agricultural equipment modifications and a proposed native prairie at Weselmans. Klink said a pollinator plot at Central High School remains planned.
Klink said the Soil and Water district has provided about $39,000 in cash match for grant work and that the office can leverage about $25 of additional project value for every dollar of county funding they receive. She said a Clean Water Indiana grant will provide $20,000 for county work focused on cover crops and that a U.S. soil-health grant allows free soil sampling for county residents.
Klink said the district plans to apply for a second 319 implementation grant for another $300,000 and described the office’s grant-writing partnerships with neighboring counties and USDA programs.
Commissioners thanked Klink for the department’s return on investment and for partnering on multi-county grants.
