This agreement is to fund the state of missouri's water quality management planning program to improve impaired water and protect unimpaired waters across the state by conducting planning that informs…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 awarded the Missouri Department of Natural Resources $1.194 million through the Water Quality Management Planning program (CFDA 66.454) for the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030. This formula grant, supported by Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding, supports Missouri's comprehensive water quality management planning to improve impaired waters and protect unimpaired waters through Clean Water Act program implementation. Core deliverables include development of water quality standards and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), sampling and assessment of emerging contaminants, antidegradation reviews, updates to the state water quality monitoring strategy, and public education initiatives. Specific products include annual low-flow water quality surveys, response sampling for algal toxins, annual fixed-station monitoring, and temporal condition tracking related to point and nonpoint pollution sources.

The award requires pass-through funding to regional planning organizations and councils of government for planning and monitoring activities, with sub-awards made to five regional entities: the Southwest Missouri Council of Governments for source water protection plan implementation; the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association for fixed-site network implementation; the Mid America Regional Council to train 250 city and county staff on newly adopted standards; the Harry S Truman Coordinating Council for comprehensive watershed assessment; and the South Central Ozark Council of Governments for stormwater vulnerability and resiliency assessments of an industrial park expansion. These sub-awards support water quality management planning, monitoring, watershed-based assessments, public water system protection planning, and stormwater and floodplain management initiatives across Missouri.

This agreement is to fund the state of missouri's water quality management planning program to improve impaired water and protect unimpaired waters across the state by conducting planning that informs and supports implementation of clean water act programs. This agreement is supported by funding provided under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) (PL 117-58).activities:activities to be performed include development of water quality standards and total maximum daily load tasks, sampling of emerging contaminants to identify priority internal monitoring and assessment of these contaminants, conduct antidegradation reviews, review and update the state water quality monitoring strategy focusing on addressing priority gaps, and increase public knowledge of water quality concerns. Subrecipient:provide a request for proposals to regional planning organizations (RPO) or council of governments (COG) at a minimum every year for projects that align with department priorities and for projects that support water quality management and planning, monitoring, and other activities. The department's focus for pass through funds is planning activities, such as assessing the feasibility of regional or watershed-based wastewater treatment solutions; assisting public water systems with source water protection planning; assisting municipalities with stormwater and floodplain management through development of vulnerability assessments and resiliency plans; conducting water quality assessment in an at risk watershed; and other regional water quality planning activities.outcomes:deliverables and outcomes of this grant will include conducting annual low flow water quality surveys, conducting response sampling for algal toxins based on reports of harmful algal blooms, conducting annual fixed station monitoring, tracking temporal conditions related to point or nonpoint pollution concerns or to determine baseline watershed conditions, reviewing and interpreting fish tissue data on mercury and trends on pesticides and per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and review and update missouri water quality monitoring strategy. Intended beneficiaries are the residents of the state of missouri.