Federal Formula Grant Award Summary

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.