Middle Cedar Watershed group awarded $1.3 million EPA grant; Vinton urged to re‑engage

Alyssa, an environmental specialist with the East Central Iowa Council of Governments, and Mary Beth Stevenson, utilities staff for the City of Cedar Rapids and chair of the Middle Cedar Watershed Management Authority, updated the Vinton City Council on the WMA’s activities and a new federal grant on Jan. 22.

The presenters said the WMA — a 28B intergovernmental cooperative formed to manage flooding, water quality and watershed resilience — received a $1.3 million EPA farmer‑to‑farmer grant that will begin this month. Mary Beth Stevenson said the funding will support demonstration projects using natural infrastructure, habitat improvements, flood‑mitigation practices and a new watershed coordinator position to help coordinate work across member jurisdictions.

“We envision using this as the next phase of the Iowa Watershed Approach work — demonstrating how natural infrastructure practices can improve water quality, reduce flooding and strengthen watershed resilience,” Alyssa said. The WMA plans to hire a coordinator and visit member entities to re‑engage partners and share project plans.

Stevenson described past WMA activity and membership, noting the authority includes cities, counties and conservation districts in several counties and that Vinton has been a long‑time member. The presentation listed two upcoming listening sessions aimed at urban growers: one in Waterloo on Feb. 28 and another in Cedar Rapids; organizers said they will provide a meal and a gift card to attendees.

On financing, presenters said the WMA sends an annual contribution invoice (noting Vinton’s current line item in the packet as $56 per year) and asked the council to keep its member contact information current. Council members asked staff to verify who receives meeting invites and confirmed the city would circulate contact information to ensure the city stays on the mailing list.

The council voted to accept the Middle Cedar WMA annual report at the end of the presentation. Council documents and the presentation packet were cited by presenters as the basis for the report.

The next procedural step is for the WMA to begin grant kickoff activities and for the city to verify its contact list and decide on participation and any financial contribution.