Blanchard River Watershed Partnership receives a $142,020 grant for the “Innovative Use of the Nutrient Tracking Tool in the Lower Riley Creek watershed.”

Watch the brief video at the bottom explaining watersheds.

The Great Lakes Commission has awarded the Blanchard River Watershed Partnership (BRWP) a $142,020 grant under the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program (GLSNRP).

This is the second major grant announcement involving the Village of Bluffton this month. Earlier this week, the Icon reported on the village receiving an ODOT grant valued at $840,000. Click here for that story.

It will provide Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT) training and cost-share payments to stakeholders who are involved with agriculture practices in the Lower Riley Creek watershed, located within Putnam and Allen Counties.

The Nutrient Tracking Tool is a free, online, user-friendly tool that quantitatively estimates the nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment losses from crop and pasture lands.

The BRWP will collaborate with the National Center for Water Quality Research at Heidelberg University to train producers in using the NTT program, and to oversee the establishment of conservation practices.

The eligible practices will be soil testing, cover crops, and conservation tillage. 

Each practice will involve a cost-share for participating farmers. Interested farmers should contact Lauren Sandhu, BRWP watershed coordinator ([email protected]).

The BRWP had written and received full endorsement by the EPA of a nine-element nonpoint source implementation strategy (NPS-IS Plan) for the Lower Riley Creek watershed earlier this year.

An NPS-IS Plan is required by the EPA to receive funding.

The BRWP represents the six counties of the Blanchard River Watershed, and is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving water quality through developing citizen involvement and watershed action plans.

The Village of Bluffton is a watershed partner. Joe Sehlhorst, council members, is the village representative on the watershed board.

Volunteers are welcome to join activities at any time.

Learn more about the Blanchard River on the BRWP website at www.BlanchardRiver.org.