Decatur, IL – In a major win for Lake Decatur, a regional partnership led by the City of Decatur has been selected to receive $6.72 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2026 Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
The grant will be used to implement agricultural conservation practices such as cover crops, no-till farming and grassy waterways. This grant follows and builds on a highly successful $9.88 million RCPP grant received in 2022, which prevented 22,000 pounds of nitrogen, 3,160 pounds of phosphorous and 2,940 tons of sediment from entering Lake Decatur.
The focus area for the 2026 grant will be Big Creek, Long Creek, Sand Creek and Finley Creek. The 2026 round of RCPP funding was very competitive, with only 42 projects selected out of 179 nationwide that applied. Decatur’s RCPP is the only one selected in Illinois. One of the factors that was considered was the strong partnership between the City of Decatur and the Sanitary District of Decatur to reduce phosphorus loads affecting the Sangamon River.
“This award shows national-level recognition for the strength of Decatur’s watershed protection programs and partnerships,” said Robert Weil, Water Production General Manager for the City of Decatur.
Visit our RCPP webpage to learn more about the City’s RCPP program and watershed protection.
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