[ADEQ Media] ADEQ Seeks Applications for Grants to Improve Conditions of Watersheds in Rural Arizona

[media@lists.azdeq.gov]

ADEQ Seeks Applications for Grants to Improve Conditions of Watersheds
in Rural Arizona  

PHOENIX (Sept. 12, 2008) -- Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
Director Steve Owens announced today that ADEQ is accepting applications
to allocate $800,000 to develop Watershed Improvement Plans (WIPs) for
three targeted watersheds in the state of Arizona.  The grants are
funded with federal dollars provided to ADEQ by the U.S. EPA.

Three watersheds - the Oak Creek drainage area near Sedona, the Granite
Creek drainage area in and near Prescott, and the San Francisco River
drainage area near Clifton -- were selected for WIPs because of E. coli
bacteria and other pollutants. 

ADEQ will hold one workshop devoted to each watershed.  All workshops
will be held at ADEQ's central office, 1110 W. Washington Street in
Phoenix from 10 a.m. - noon as follows:

*	Monday, Sept. 15: Oak Creek drainage (Sedona area)
*	Tuesday, Sept. 16: Granite Creek drainage (Prescott area)
*	Wednesday, Sept. 17: San Francisco River drainage (Clifton area)


Applicants must provide 40 percent in nonfederal matching funds to
implement an "on-the-ground" project to improve water quality in Arizona
by addressing a nonpoint source of water pollution.  Nonpoint source
pollution is the nation's largest source of water quality problems.  It
occurs when rainfall, melting snow, or irrigation runoff picks up
pollutants and deposits them in rivers, lakes or other ground water
sources. Agriculture, forestry, grazing, septic systems, recreational
boating, urban runoff and construction all contribute to nonpoint source
pollution.  

"The Watershed Improvement Program provides much-needed funding at the
local level to implement creative approaches to improve watersheds,"
said ADEQ Director Owens.  "Through our partnerships with local
communities, we are achieving cleaner and safer waters and ensuring the
long-term sustainability of Arizona's precious water resources."

The deadline for the mandatory pre-proposal is Oct. 7, 2008 at 3 p.m.
ADEQ will provide feedback on pre-proposals. The deadline for the final,
completed grant application is Nov. 12, 2008 at 3 p.m. Grant awards will
be announced in January 2009. More information and application forms can
be found at:
http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/water/watershed/improvement.html#target  

For questions or to RSVP for one of the workshops, please contact Krista
Osterberg, Grant Coordinator, at ko1@azdeq.gov, or (602) 771-4635, (800)
234-5677, Ext. 771-4635.

-30-

News media interested in additional information on this or any other
topic concerning the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality should
contact the Office of Communications at (602) 771-2215 or via email at
communications@azdeq.gov.

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