While many things in the watershed management realm can be done for free, most of your actions will take money. Watershed work in Indiana is funded primarily through federal government programs such as the Section 319(h) program of the Clean Water Act and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program of the Farm Bill. However, grants, fundraisers, donations, membership drives, sales, and investments are just some of the ways that Indiana’s grassroots groups fund watershed work. Times may be tough, but there’s still money to be found.
Sometimes, the most difficult part of finding money to do your work is matching your needs to the appropriate funding source. Use the IDEM Funding Matrix [XLSX] (updated August 16, 2023) to find funding for specific watershed-related activities, such as stream cleanups, installing wetlands, obtaining permits, acquiring easements, and printing educational materials.
For specific information on IDEM grants and non-IDEM funding, use the below resources: