The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service has announced that a project led by the City of Decatur was selected for a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) award aimed at improving soil health and water quality in the Lake Decatur watershed, according to the agency's Illinois public affairs office.

The Lake Decatur Targeted Soil Health and Water Quality Initiative was the only Illinois project chosen in the 2026 round of RCPP selections, the NRCS said. The agency described the award as part of a national announcement of RCPP project selections posted to the national NRCS website.

According to the NRCS project listing, the five-year initiative is led by the City of Decatur with NRCS and agricultural and conservation partners. The agency's website lists total funding for the project at $6,323,999.

The NRCS says agricultural runoff of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment is degrading water quality in Lake Decatur, raising the risk of algal blooms and increasing treatment costs for the city's public drinking-water source, which serves roughly 70,500 people. The project aims to measurably improve nutrient-use efficiency and soil function on working lands while cutting nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment reaching the lake.

What the project funds

According to reporting by the City of Decatur, most of the money will support farmers through incentives to adopt agricultural conservation practices such as cover crops, no-till farming and grassed waterways. The city has said the 2026 grant's focus areas are Big Creek, Long Creek, Sand Creek and Finley Creek.

The city said the 2026 round was competitive, with 42 projects selected nationwide out of 179 that applied. Among the factors considered was the partnership between the city and the Sanitary District of Decatur to reduce phosphorus loads affecting the Sangamon River.

"This award shows national-level recognition for the strength of Decatur's watershed protection programs and partnerships," Robert Weil, water production general manager for the City of Decatur, said in a news release cited in local reports.

Background

The new award builds on a $9.88 million RCPP grant the city received in 2022, according to the City of Decatur's website. The city has said that earlier work prevented 22,000 pounds of nitrogen, 3,160 pounds of phosphorus and 2,940 tons of sediment from entering Lake Decatur.

More information on the city's watershed work is available on the City of Decatur website. Farmers interested in RCPP can contact their local NRCS field office.

Source: the original release