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$900,000 to Flow to Marais des Cygnes Watershed

Release Date: 12/03/2007
Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, (913) 551-7557, lancaster.kris@epa.gov

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Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., Dec. 3, 2007) - A $900,000 grant to improve the health of the Marais des Cygnes Basin is going to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which was selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's national Targeted Watersheds Grant Program. The event will be held at 11:45 a.m. Monday, Dec. 3, in Shelter 1 next to the marina at Hillsdale Lake, 26000 W. 255th St., Paola, Kan.

EPA Region 7 Administrator John B. Askew said, "Protecting our nation's watersheds is a top priority for EPA. EPA's seed money will help grow grass-roots partnerships that improve the health of the Marais des Cygnes Basin."

The Marais des Cygnes River Basin is south of the Kansas City metropolitan area and is home to more than 125,000 Kansas and Missouri residents. The river basin is experiencing urbanization, population increases and land use shifts, placing strains on water quality and supply.

The project will help improve water quality by providing cost share funds to landowners to assist in the reduction of nutrients and E. coli bacteria.

The Marais des Cygnes Basin includes the Marais des Cygnes, Marmaton and Little Osage rivers that are vital resources for residents in 13 counties throughout east-central Kansas (Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Coffey, Crawford, Douglas, Franklin, Johnson, Linn, Lyon, Miami, Osage and Wabaunsee) and four west- central Missouri counties (Barton, Bates, Cass and Vernon). The basin encompasses 3,230 square miles in Kansas and 453 square miles in Missouri.

EPA initiated the Targeted Watersheds Grant Program in 2002 to encourage successful community-based approaches to protect and restore the nation's watersheds. Watershed health is important to clean, safe water where Americans live, work and play. More than $40 million has been provided to 46 watershed organizations since 2003.