News Releases from Region 04

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (November 20, 2019) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the University of Louisville a $210,000 Wetlands Program Development Grant (WPDG) to fund a stream-wetland complexes and restoration study.

The University of Louisville will receive $210,000 for its project, “Habitat Diversity and Beaver in Stream Restoration.” The university will examine water retention and the impacts of beavers on stream-wetland complexes and restorations and the ability of regulatory efforts to identify and replace lost or degraded stream and wetland functions in headwater valleys. Outputs from the grant will include a series of 4-day workshops for wetland practitioners focusing on stream-wetland complex restoration design and monitoring techniques, including uses for two-dimensional hydrodynamic models.

“This award to the University of Louisville demonstrates EPA’s commitment to supporting water quality,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Mary S. Walker. “The funding will help further understanding of the critical role wetlands play in protecting and supporting healthy ecosystems.”

Wetlands Program Development Grants assist state, tribal, local government agencies, state universities and interstate/intertribal entities in building programs that protect, manage, and restore wetlands and aquatic resources. States, tribes, and local governments are encouraged to develop wetlands program plans, which help create a roadmap for achieving long-term environmental goals.

The Clean Water Act recognizes that as water flows downstream it can carry pollutants from upstream sources along with it. Wetlands are instrumental in eliminating or treating pollution and can have a huge impact on receiving waters located downstream.

For more wetlands information, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/wetland-program-development-grants.

Source: EPA.gov