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Fourche Creek Selected to Receive $1.3 Million EPA Watershed Grant

Release Date: 7/19/2004
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

      Audubon Arkansas has been selected to receive a $1.3 million grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) competitive Targeted Watershed Grants program to protect, preserve and restore the Fourche Creek watershed.

      "The Targeted Watershed Grants program builds on strong public/private partnerships that create and improve networks for watershed protection. The Fourche Creek project is a vibrant example of a community working together to improve area waterways," EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene said. "I look forward to seeing tangible results in the Fourche watershed area very soon."

      Located in central Arkansas, the 170-square-mile Fourche Creek watershed drains and filters more than 99 percent of the Little Rock metropolitan area. Audubon Arkansas expects to achieve a five percent reduction in sediment and nutrients, more sustainable methods for municipal operations and maintenance, a 20 percent reduction of floatable trash and an outreach campaign to reach at least 500,000 people in the watershed.  Funds will also be used to revitalize wetland function through reforestation as well as stream bank and wetland restoration.  

      Nominees were required to set clearly articulated goals and objectives aimed at cleaner water.  Watershed plans and project proposals were judged on criteria such as innovation, environmental results, broad support, outreach and financial integrity.  In addition, proposals that incorporated market-based incentives or were related to nutrient loading of the Mississippi River basin and the hypoxia situation in the Gulf of Mexico were emphasized.  EPA received 115 grant nominations, of which 14 were selected to receive funding totaling $14,166,000.

      Watershed protection is an important part of EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt's 500-day plan to increase the velocity of environmental progress in the nation.  More information about the 500-day plan is available at http://epa.gov/adminweb/leavitt/500dayplan.htm.  More information about the Targeted Watershed Grants program is available at https://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/initiative/.