News Release | ADEQ Seeks Applicants for $1.7 Million in Water Quality Improvement Grant Funds to Protect and Enhance Arizona’s Waters

By ivio | December 2015

PHOENIX (Dec. 29, 2015) – Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today the availability of $1.7 million in grant funds to protect and enhance Arizona’s waters. ADEQ is requesting and accepting applications to fund projects that implement on-the-ground water quality improvements that reduce nonpoint source pollution caused by runoff in areas where ADEQ has established water protection plans. ADEQ’s focus is to fund projects in previously identified priority areas with the goal of maximizing environmental benefits. Focus areas include Granite Creek near Prescott, Oak Creek near Sedona, San Francisco River near Clifton, and San Pedro River near St. David. ADEQ encourages all eligible individuals, non-profits, municipalities, and others to apply to take actions to restore, protect and improve waters in these priority areas. To learn more, ADEQ invites interested parties to join its informational webinar on Jan. 5, during which Water Quality Improvement Grant Program (WQIG) eligibility requirements, guidelines and priority areas will be reviewed. Please contact Jake Breedlove at (602) 771-4243 orsb12@azdeq.gov to register. “Our experience has shown that applying proven management techniques through a community-based approach is highly effective in protecting Arizona’s precious waters as well as making progress toward restoring areas of concern to healthy conditions for future generations,” said ADEQ Water Quality Division Director Trevor Baggiore. WQIG Deadlines and Awards Mandatory pre-proposals are due 3 p.m., Fri., Jan. 15, 2016 Final applications are due 3 p.m. Fri., Feb. 12, 2016 ADEQ expects to announce the grant awards in May 2016 WQIG Resources   Water Quality Improvement Grants (WQIG) Request for Grant Applications   Water Quality Improvement Grant Cycle Grant Manual   Other required forms: http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/water/watershed/improvement.html Background ADEQ’s Water Quality Improvement Grant program (WQIG) is funded through a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act. Since it began in 2000, our WQIG program has funded more than 150 projects reducing polluted runoff from many different sources throughout the state and had a significant impact on improving the health of our waterways. For more information about WQIG, visit http://www.azdeq.gov/wqig or contact ADEQ Grant and Watershed Coordinator Samuel “Jake” Breedlove at sb12@azdeq.gov or (602) 771-4243 or 1-800-234-5677, ext. 771-4243. About ADEQ Established by the Arizona Legislature under the Environmental Quality Act of 1986, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is the state agency for protecting and enhancing public health and the environment of Arizona.