cost share ASSISTANCE application

 Need help with erosion control?

Are you wondering what would be a good place for a pond?

How about a waterway that isn't doing what it was a couple years ago?

Macon County Soil and Water offers FREE technical assistance with terraces, grade control structures, sediment basins, cover crops and constructed wetlands.  

  Since 1941, the City of Decatur has partnered with the Macon County SWCD to assist  landowners within the Lake Decatur Watershed to implement practices that reduce the amount of  sediment carried into the Upper Sangamon River, eventually settling in Lake Decatur. With  dredging costs on the rise and a continued need for more storage in Lake Decatur, the City and  the SWCD are joining forces to reduce erosion on the land. 

 The Lake Decatur Watershed Program (LDWP) offers up to 60% cost assistance to landowners to  install practices that will reduce soil erosion and/or increase water quality. Applicable practices  include but are not limited to:
 Grassed Waterways - Terraces - Streambank Restoration - Structures Wetlands - Filter Strips -  Drainage Water Management - Cover Crops - No-till/Strip till  - Nutrient Management

 Practices are assessed by determining how much soil could be saved, and how cost efficient the  practice would be. If approved, the Macon County SWCD will work with the landowner to develop  design plans, and oversee construction throughout the project.  

Assist landowners with sheet and rill erosion exceeding “T” (tolerable soil loss level), or with  ephemeral/gully erosion, in constructing projects which conserve soil, protect water quality and  reduce flooding.
 Address water quality issues related to sediment, nutrients, and other non-point source pollutants.
 In Macon County, PFC (CPP) funds have been used to: construct waterways, install block chutes,  construct terraces, plant cover crops, and a variety of other projects. If you have erosion, and are  not quite sure how to treat it, we can do a site visit, and come up with the best possible solutions for  your particular project. The maximum cost-share for this program is up to 75%

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 Streambank erosion is one of the major causes of pollution in our county’s streams and lakes. When  left untreated, streambank erosion becomes a serious threat to the land, water, plant, and animal  resources we hold dear. It can lead to loss or damage of valuable farmland, wildlife habitat,  buildings, roads, bridges, and other public and private structures and property. SSRP provide  assistance (up to 75% cost-share) to Illinois landowners to stabilize or restore severely eroding  banks that qualify. SSRP will also provide 100% cost-share for selected demonstration sites. While  solutions are site-specific, most fixes involve using low-cost vegetative or other bio-engineering  techniques to stabilize the eroding banks. 

  Macon County, the City of Decatur, the Village of Forsyth, and the Village of Mt. Zion all maintain  MS4 permits with the state of Illinois to ensure proper stormwater maintenance and quality. WCD cooperate with our MS4 communities by participating in the MS4 Working Group where  educational events are planned and implemented, and by inspecting the erosion & sediment  controls at individual construction sites throughout the City and Villages.  

 The Heart of the Sangamon River Ecosystem Partnership is a coalition of Macon County and Piatt County private citizens, public groups, and government agencies united in June of 1997 by a common interest in the quality of natural resources of the Upper Sangamon River Watershed. Over 15 agencies and citizens continue to meet quarterly today to discuss resource concerns, opportunities for funding, and education events in the two counties. Every year a public workshop is also organized and offered by the Partnership. If you would like to be notified of upcoming meetings, contact us or the Piatt County SWCD today!