Lake & Watershed Conservation Grant

The Putnam County Soil & Water Conservation District is offering the Lake & Watershed Conservation Grant through its Community Conservation Grant Program. The grant has a $60,000 funding pool and supports locally driven projects that protect or improve lakes, ponds, streams, wetlands, and surrounding watersheds in Putnam County. The program is intended to address water-quality and watershed-health needs through practical conservation projects, planning, monitoring, technical work, and other activities with a documented conservation benefit. Applications opened September 1, 2026, and complete applications received during the September 1 through September 30 initial round are evaluated together. Eligible work includes water-quality sampling, laboratory analysis and monitoring; harmful algal bloom prevention, investigation, or response planning; aquatic invasive species surveys, prevention, and management; lake and watershed management plans; sediment, nutrient, stormwater, or drainage assessments; shoreline stabilization and vegetative buffers; erosion control and runoff reduction; and culvert, catch-basin, or drainage work with a documented water-quality benefit. Feasibility studies, preliminary engineering, technical evaluations, approved monitoring equipment, and appropriately permitted non-lethal beaver management and flow devices may also qualify. Routine landscaping or aesthetic improvements, ordinary association expenses, recreational amenities without a conservation purpose, work lacking required property authorization or permits, and projects already completed or costs incurred before written authorization are generally ineligible. Temporary measures such as chemical treatment are generally not eligible when proposed as a stand-alone long-term strategy without addressing the underlying source of impairment. Eligible applicants include lake associations, lake districts, watershed organizations, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and other community-based entities responsible for or actively involved in protecting a shared water resource in Putnam County. The applicant must own the project property or provide written landowner authorization before an award agreement is executed. Applicants remain responsible for obtaining all property permissions, permits, procurement approvals, governmental reviews, and other approvals required for their projects. District funding does not waive federal, state, or local requirements. No financial or in-kind match is required. Applicants may identify other funding or resources contributing to a project, but optional contributions are disclosed for informational purposes and do not receive separate scoring credit. Every applicant must complete at least a telephone or virtual consultation with District staff before the application is presented to the Board. A site visit will generally be required for physical improvements or site-specific work unless District staff determines that one is unnecessary. The application requests applicant and organizational information, project information, total estimated project cost and amount requested, project need, proposed work, expected results, beneficiaries or resources served, a project schedule, an itemized budget, project-readiness information, property access and permitting information, maintenance or continuing-benefit plans, and applicant certification. Supporting materials can include photographs and a map, estimates or vendor quotes, available sampling data and technical reports, plans or specifications, landowner or lake-access authorization, permit information, and evidence of organizational authorization when applicable. District staff may request additional information needed to evaluate feasibility, cost, authorization, or eligibility. District staff first conducts administrative and technical review, including confirmation that the applicant is eligible, the project is located in or directly benefits Putnam County, the project fits the grant track, requested costs appear eligible, budget support is sufficient, property authorization is addressed, potential permits are identified, the project appears technically feasible, and maintenance or continuation responsibility is addressed. Board reviewers then score whether the water-resource problem is clearly explained and supported, whether the project will meaningfully protect or improve water quality, whether the approach is sound and lasting, whether the project is ready, whether costs are reasonable, and whether the broader lake or watershed community will benefit. Water-quality impact receives double weight. Applicants that have never previously received Putnam County SWCD grant funding receive five preference points, while previously funded applicants receive zero preference points. The maximum evaluation score is 40 points. Applications received from September 1 through September 30, 2026, comprise the initial evaluation round. If funding remains afterward, complete applications are reviewed on a rolling-review basis from October 1 through December 1, 2026 and may be awarded until the available funds are fully committed. The final deadline is Tuesday, December 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. for electronic submissions and 4:30 p.m. for hand delivery. The rolling-review period may close before December 1 if all funding has been committed. Applications are not reviewed until District staff determines they are complete. Applicants must use the submission method published by the District and retain a copy of their application. Submission, consultation, and staff assistance do not guarantee funding; awards require District Board approval and a written agreement, and grant-funded work or reimbursable costs may not begin before written authorization. The supplied materials do not identify an award-notification date, performance period, named program contact, email address, telephone number, or recurring future grant cycle.

Clearly document the lake or watershed problem with monitoring data observations reports or professional findings where available. Demonstrate meaningful water-quality improvement because that evaluation criterion receives double weight. Present a sound lasting approach rather than a temporary stand-alone treatment. Address access permits approvals procurement and other readiness issues. Support requested costs with estimates quotes or another reasonable basis. Explain the broader lake or watershed community benefit. Ensure the application is complete because incomplete applications are not reviewed.