Gov. Kathy Hochul announced nearly $14 million has been awarded to protect clean water across the state. This funding will support agricultural water quality conservation projects across the state, benefiting 91 farms, and is provided through the Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control program, which supports projects that address water quality challenges in priority watersheds and protect the environment.

“New York continues to take decisive action to protect access to clean water across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “This money will go towards fulfilling both those goals by encouraging the implementation of cost-effective waterway protection and reducing our carbon footprint.”

The projects have been awarded to 25 County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, on behalf of the farms, who will support on-farm environmental planning and the implementation of best management practice (BMP) systems to keep nutrients and other potential pollutants from entering waterways. BMPs include a variety of measures, including vegetative buffers along streams, cover crops, nutrient management through manure storage, and other conservation measures.

Round 27 grants for the Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control Program were awarded to:

• Western NY Region: $1,219,312 for 4 farms
• Finger Lakes Region: $2,644,294 for 30 farms
• Southern Tier Region: $1,323,984 for 6 farms
• Central NY Region: $ 3,867,030 for 31 farms
• North Country Region: $ 1,935,559 for 5 farms
• Mohawk Valley Region: $1,611,603 for 3 farms
• Capital District Region: $524,687 for 2 farms
• Mid-Hudson Region: $411,100 for 9 farms
• Long Island Region: $154,275 for 1 farm

In the North Country Region, $403,030 was awarded to the Clinton County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Lake Champlain Watershed. This project will:

• Address nutrient runoff by installing a manure storage facility
• Improve nutrient management and decrease soil erosion by planting 600 acres of cover crop
• Help meet water quality goals.

$333,670 was awarded to the Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District to
work with one farm in the Develin Brook-Little Salmon River Watershed. This
project will:

• Address nutrient runoff by implementing a manure waste storage facility
• Reduce the risk of potential contamination of surface and ground water by allowing for the secondary containment of petroleum products
• Address the number one priority watershed in the Franklin County AEM Strategic Plan

$342,629 was awarded to the Lewis County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Whetstone Creek-Black River Watershed. This project will:

• Install a covered barnyard that encompasses a compost bedded pack to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff
• Address nutrient runoff by installing a storage facility
• Assist in the reduction of nutrient and sediment runoff into a Class A waterway

$417,936 was awarded to the Lewis County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Stony Creek-Black River Watershed. This project will:

• Address nutrient runoff by installing a manure storage facility
• Install a diversion ditch and drip trenches
• Prevent cattle from crossing an intermittent stream to limit erosion and nutrient loading

$438,294 was awarded to the Lewis County Soil and Water Conservation District to work with one farm in the Capidon Creek-Black River Watershed. This project will:

• Improve nutrient management and decrease soil erosion by planting 2,000
  acres of cover crop
• Assist in the reduction of nutrient and sediment runoff into a Class A waterway
• Address potential pollutants included in the Black River Nine Element Watershed Plan

Lake Champlain photo from the Almanack archive