Lake Decatur Awarded $6.72 Million Grant for Watershed Protection

October 29, 2026 A regional partnership led by the City of Decatur will use federal funding to reduce agricultural runoff and protect Lake Decatur s water quality. Lake Decatur has been selected for $6.72 million in federal funding to expand watershed protection efforts, with a focus on reducing agricultural runoff into the lake. The City of Decatur-led partnership will receive the funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture s 2026 Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The grant will support agricultural conservation practices, including cover crops, no-till farming and grassy waterways, designed to reduce the amount of nutrients and sediment entering local waterways. The project will focus on the Big Creek, Long Creek, Sand Creek and Finley Creek watersheds. The new award builds on a previous $9.88 million grant received in 2022. According to the city, conservation practices supported by that funding prevented 22,000 pounds of nitrogen, 3,160 pounds of phosphorus and 2,9