American Water announced the recipients of the company’s 2013 Environmental Grant Program awards. A total of 54 projects throughout American Water’s service areas in 12 states will be supported by grants totaling more than $200,000.
Established in 2005, American Water’s Environmental Grant Program offers funds for innovative, community-based environmental projects that improve, restore or protect the watersheds, surface water and/or groundwater supplies in the communities it serves.
“Each one of these 54 organizations is making a difference in one of American Water’s communities, and we are very proud to partner with them on these important watershed improvement projects,” said Debra Vernon, manager of corporate responsibility. “Now in its eighth year, our state environmental grant program has provided needed support for communities to help improve, restore and protect our valuable natural resources through partnerships. We are proud of the opportunity to support such worthy projects that positively impact the environment and our water sources.”
The 2013 grant recipients, which are located throughout American Water’s service areas, include the following:
California American Water is issuing two grants totaling $10,000 to the following organizations:
- • The WiLDCOAST Foundation was awarded $5,000 to fund its Tijuana River Action Initiative.
- • The American River Parkway Foundation was awarded $5,000 to fund its “Strengthening the Parkway” watershed protection program.
Illinois American Water is issuing eight grants totaling $34,943 to the following organizations:
- • Living Lands and Waters will receive its requested $1,500 grant in full for the Great Mississippi River Clean Up.
- • The City of Waterloo, located in Illinois American Water’s Interurban (Metro East) District, will receive its requested $3,000 grant in full to preserve the environmental nature of a parcel of land within William Zimmer Park.
- • Country Club Estates Civic Association in the Chicago Metro service area will receive a $6,443 grant for a community rain garden project.
- • Great Rivers Land Trust in Alton will receive a $4,000 grant for the Piasa Creek Wetland Project.
- • The Illinois Green Business Assn. in the Champaign District will receive a $4,900 grant for the Businesses on Board for Water Conservation project.
- • River Trails School District 26 in the Mount Prospect service area of the Chicago Metro District will receive an $8,000 grant for their Watershed Protection and Storm Water Collection project.
- • The Sierra Club in the Champaign District will receive a $3,500 Grant for the Perkins Road Park Riparian Restoration project.
- • Trees Forever will receive a $3,600 grant for the Stewards of Our Water project in Pontiac.
Indiana American Water is issuing four grants totaling $11,000 to the following organizations:
- • The City of Kokomo will use its $4,000 grant to remove the Philips Street dam on Wildcat Creek.
- • Chesterton Street Trees for Clean Water will use its $2,000 grant to plant several dozen trees to replace those lost due to age, decline and storm damage.
- • Trees for Stormwater Demonstration Project’s $4,000 grant will help fund the development and installation of a stormwater demonstration project at Brown Avenue and Locust Street along a recently constructed 1.5 mile section of the National Road Heritage Trail.
- • Silver Creek/Ohio River Clean Up Project will utilize its $1,000 grant to address a significant environmental eyesore along a future potion of the Ohio River Greenway Project known as the Loop Island Wetlands.
Iowa American Water is issuing two grants totaling more than $6,000 to the following organizations:
- • Scott County Soil & Water Conservation District will receive $4,200 for its Duck Creek Stormwater Runoff Reduction Program to improve water quality and reduce flash flooding of local streams by helping landowners install best management practices to reduce stormwater runoff.
- • Keep Scott County Beautiful will receive its requested $2,000 grant for the Xstream Cleanup 2013 effort that will be held in August.
Kentucky American Water is issuing four grants totaling nearly $21,400 to the following organizations:
- • Beaumont Middle School EcoTeam, in partnership with the Friends of Wolf Run, Shelby Jett and John Cobb, will receive a $6,400 grant to design and install a new rain garden that will be an expansion of a small rain garden project at the school.
- • Franklin County Conservation District, in partnership with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, Franklin County Farm Bureau, Community Farm Alliance and Franklin County Cattlemen’s Assn., will receive a $5,000 grant to help establish a long-term, cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for animal carcass disposal.
- • The Friends of Wolf Run, in partnership with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Division of Parks and Recreation, McConnell Springs Nature Center, Friends of McConnell Springs, LFUCG Division of Water Quality, Town Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant laboratory, EcoGro, Third Rock Consultants and Bluegrass Community and Technical College, will receive a $3,500 grant to establish several “floating wetland islands” to help reduce nitrogen and phosphorous levels in Wolf Run Creek.
- • The Lansdowne Neighborhood Assn., in partnership with the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government Division of Water Quality, will receive a $6,500 grant for the Zandale Park Streambank Protection Project to improve the stability, safety and aesthetics of the West Hickman Creek tributary in Zandale Park.
- Maryland American Water is issuing one grant totaling nearly $500 to the following organization:
- • Ocean Pines Assn. will use its grant to develop a beach grass buffer zone as a demonstration project to educate residents about what buffers can do and how they protect water quality and habitat.
Missouri American Water is issuing five grants totaling $22,000 to the following organizations:
- • Missouri River Relief will receive $6,000 for the “Big Muddy Home Waters” clean-up.
- • The City of Saint Joseph will utilize its $4,000 grant for the Parkway Infiltration Garden to reduce volume and velocity of storm water entering the combined sewer system.
- • The Open Space Council will receive a grant for $3000 for the Passport to Clean Water. This source water protection educational program teaches and promotes the importance of water conservation to youth in the St. Louis County area.
- • Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center will receive $5,000 for a program focusing on water quality with summer school students from the Joplin Metro Area. Students will be touring the Missouri American Water treatment plant as part of the program.
- • The St. Louis County Household Hazardous Waste Education Project will use its $4,000 grant to target county students and residents increasing their role in protection of the environment and waterways by properly managing hazardous household waste.
New Jersey American Water is issuing four grants totaling more than $38,000 to the following organizations:
- • Ocean City Environmental Commission - Green Streets and Bioswales Project will help design and construct Green Bioswales along the streets in Ocean City to help control stormwater accumulation and provide filtration for the water, allowing it to recharge the groundwater table and help reduce flooding.
- • Township of Middletown - Department of Public Works Poricy Park Rain Garden Project will construct and plant a rain garden in Poricy Park, to accept rain water run-off from nearby buildings, allow the run-off to flow back into the ground and reduce the loading of nutrients and pollutants in the run-off.
- • Camden County Soil Conservation District Camden Floating Wetland Education and Implementation Project in cooperation with the Rutgers cooperative extension, will construct and use floating wetlands to treat storm water, and remove nutrients.
- • The Township of Irvington for the 2013 Shade Tree Reforestation Project.
Pennsylvania American Water is issuing eight grants totaling approximately $35,000 to the following organizations:
- • Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation will utilize its grant to address watershed and habitat degradation of Solomon’s Creek. The restoration project will remove large woody blockages from previous flood events, plus trash and debris that compromise the health and ecosystem along the Creek and its tributaries. The group will also implement tree plantings and trout stream restoration within the riparian corridor of the watershed.
- • Evergreen Conservancy’s grant will be used to purchase and install a solar panel that will power a water quality monitor in the Tanoma Wetlands.
- • Friends of Cherry Valley received a grant to enhance and restore wetland area in a bog turtle habitat recently acquired as part of the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
- • Pennsylvania Resources Council will utilize its grant to host household chemical collection events in western Pennsylvania and educate the public about alternative cleaning products and waste disposal.
- • Londonderry Township’s grant will support restoration of the riparian buffer along sections of Swatara Creek in an area flooded by 2011’s Tropical Storm Lee.
- • Borough of Kittanning’s will use its grant to support the installation of a rain garden along the Armstrong Trail that will address drainage issues.
- • Dunmore Historical Society’s funding will allow the group to improve wetland areas around the Dunmore #1 Walking Trail by stabilizing the wetlands with vegetation, improving drainage in those areas, and reducing the amount of standing water.
- • Manada Conservancy plans to restore wetland areas in Boathouse Park along Swatara Creek with its grant.
Tennessee American Water is issuing four grants totaling $8,715 to the following organizations:
- • Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy (CGLA) will apply its grant towards the CGLA Community Garden.
- • Lookout Mountain Conservancy will utilize its funding for “Environmental Connection: Connecting Youth with Water and Land”, the second phase of a kudzu, trash removal and restoration project with tree-planting on Chattanooga Creek and the Tennessee River.
- • Tennessee Aquarium will use its grant towards Conservation Leadership in Action Week, a weeklong summer camp experience for high school students.
- • Wild South received a grant for the Tennessee Wild Outreach Project, an educational outreach to protect the Tennessee River in the Cherokee National Forest.
Virginia American Water is issuing three grants totaling $7,000 to the following organizations:
- • The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (College of William & Mary) received a $3,000 grant to conduct tidal, spectral and seasonal analyses of water quality parameters of the Appomattox River.
- • Petersburg-based Friends of the Lower Appomattox River, which works to protect the Appomattox River and promote its natural beauty and history, will use its $3,000 grant to build organizational capacity.
- • The Friends of the Occoquan, which is based in Woodbridge and works to preserve and maintain the Occoquan Watershed, will use its $1,000 grant to plant trees at the Occoquan regional park in Fairfax County.
West Virginia American Water is issuing seven grants totaling $10,100 to the following organizations:
- • Coal River Group, serving Kanawha and Lincoln counties, is outfitting the Coal River Science & Education Center’s new water lab with scientific equipment to evaluate the water quality of the Coal Rivers.
- • Davis Creek Watershed Association, based in Charleston, plans to hold a Watershed Appreciation Day to promote watershed education among area residents.
- • Mountain State Clean Streams holds the annual Elk River Cleanup along a 26-mile stretch of the Elk River in Braxton County, removing tons of debris and thousands of tires from the waterway.
- • Southern Appalachian Labor School in Fayette County is planning a drug take-back event in coordination with local social service providers and law enforcement for the rural Loop Creek area.
- • Morris Creek Watershed Assn., based in Montgomery serving Fayette and Kanawha counties, continues to expand its water monitoring education project that engages students from elementary school through college.
- • National Committee for the New River is working to help communities in the Lower New River Gorge area develop comprehensive storm water management programs.
- • West Virginia Rivers Coalition partners with other environmental organizations to offer watershed learning stations for children in Fayette, Nicholas and Greenbrier counties.
Source: American Water
