Grant partners SWCD, Schools and OEPA to promote water quality

A $5,000 Environmental Education Mini Grant was awarded this week to the Fayette Soil and Water Conservation District.   The grant will be used to purchase seeds, tree protectors and educational signs for a city farm streamside educational project along Paint Creek to reduce nutrient loadings upstream from the city of Washington Court House's drinking water treatment plant.   Volunteers will plant approximately five acres of trees and shrubs and 12 acres of prairie grass, wildflower mix and cool season grasses while students from two high school science clubs will monitor water quality upstream and within the project area, sample soils and measure tree and vegetative growth over several years.  The project is one of nine throughout the state that were funded for a total of $35,192.