Watershed Stewards Minigrant Program

  1. Program Goals
  2. Who's Eligible?
  3. Project Ideas
  4. Agreements

  • Improve water quality 
  • Educate residents/businesses on water quality issues like invasive species or storm water runoff 
  • Engage residents/businesses to practice water quality stewardship 
  • Reduce the impact of invasive species 
  • Protect or improve wildlife habitat around lakes, rivers, & wetlands
Click on the document images to view/download/print this year's flier and application for the minigrant program.
2018MinigrantFlier
2019 Watershed Mini Grant imageJPG

How to Apply:

  • Go to Watershed Stewards Grant webpage.  Review the flier and application for full eligibility requirements and terms of the grant.
  • Fill out the application completely (either physically or electronically)
    • Remember to include attachments such as maps and budgets.  These can be sent as separate documents.
    • If you have issues filling out the PDF, Sarah can send you a Microsoft Word document.
  • Applications are taken on a continuous basis until the grant money is consumed.  Look for an announcement at the top of this page when funding has been encumbered.
  • All applications are subject to board approval.  If approved, then the applicant will enter into a contract with the county to be reimbursed for project expenses.  Please see the application for more details.

Funded Project Examples

  1.  Fish Nets for New Prague Wildlife Class
  2. 2016 CLID Carp Cabob
  3. Jordan Elementary Pollinator Garden

The New Prague School District's Fish and Wildlife class had borrowed nets in the past to survey fish populations in local lakes, but were experiencing scheduling conflicts.  Nets were purchased using the SWMO Watershed Stewards Minigrant Program.  The purchased nets allows students a hands-on learning experience, and the opportunity to collect data on lakes they otherwise wouldn’t. The students used the fish nets to survey fish populations at Lake Pepin in the photos below.  Fish size, species, and other data are sent to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to distribute to the public.  

New Prague students survey fish populations
New Prague students survey fish populations 2