319 Nonpoint Source Grant Program

NACD's mission is to serve conservation districts by providing national leadership and a unified voice for natural resource conservation.

Section 319 of the Clean Water Act established a grant program to assist in nonpoint source pollution mitigation efforts. States, territories, and tribes receive grants which support a variety of activities, including:

technical assistance
financial assistance
education & training

technology transfer
demonstration projects
monitoring

Section 319 of the Clean Water Act is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Types of Nonpoint Source Pollution
Nonpoint Source pollution is caused by runoff of rainwater or snowmelt which picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, eventually depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and underground sources of drinking water. Types of nonpoint source pollutants include:

Fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides from agricultural and residential areas
Urban runoff containing pollutants from construction sites, parking lots and streets
Sediment and physical destruction of streambeds and streambanks
Salt from irrigation practices and acid drainage from abandoned mines
Bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes and faulty septic systems

319 Funding Distribution
EPA 319 funds are provided to designated state and tribal agencies to implement approved nonpoint source management programs. Each year, EPA awards 319 funds to states in accordance with a state-by-state allocation formula developed in consultation with states.

If a state’s funding plan is consistent with grant eligibility requirements and procedures, EPA then awards the funds to the state. Funds are then distributed by States to conservation districts and local governments for management programs, such as increasing the utilization of agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) such as buffer strips, conservation tillage, and nutrient management, and the implementation of low impact development practices to protect urban water quality.

NACD supports increased funding for the 319 grant program in the Fiscal Year 2009 Interior Appropriations Bill.

FY 2007 Final
$199,287

FY 2008 Final
$200,857

FY 2009 President’s Budget
$184,540

FY 2009 NACD Recommendation
$210,536