Transforming Neighborhoods
Urban Green Infrastructure
Helping to improve the Wabash River starts in our own backyard. Stormwater runoff is a major source of pollution in the Wabash River. Keeping stormwater on your property and letting it soak into the ground is one of the best things you can do to improve water quality in the Wabash River.
Protect your River
Reducing Stormwater Runoff
There are plenty of ways to help protect the Wabash River at home and at work. Explore the variety of options available to transform your backyard or community into an ally of the Wabash River.
Urban projects we fund:
- rain gardens
- rain barrels
- pervious pavement
- native plants & trees
- bioswales
- green roofs
- streambank stabilization
- turf-to-prairie conversion
- turf-to-tree conversion
- infrastructure retrofits
Technical assistance is free and is provided by WREC staff . Contact our Watershed Coordinator at the Wabash River Enhancement Corporation to schedule your walk-through and discuss how you can help the Wabash River at home or at work.
Utilizing WREC's funding opportunities
Urban Cost Share
The Wabash River Enhancement corporation is currently accepting cost-share applications to reimburse up to 75% of the total cost for agricultural projects focused on reducing stormwater runoff and improving water quality in the Region of the Great Bend of the Wabash River. To qualify for funding, projects must meet these requirements:
- The parcel must be located within our critical area (green area in the map to the left). Map of critical areas
- Practices must be included on our list of fundable practices above.
- Landowners must have a site visit with WREC staff before submitting an application.
- Projects must be approved by WREC’s cost share committee prior to project installation.
How Our Program Works
Contact WREC to set up a free consultation with us. We will meet you at your site, walk the property with you to discuss your stormwater issues or project ideas, and will follow up with a site visit write-up.
After your consultation, download a paper application or submit your application online. Please include a cost estimate with your application. WREC staff will contact you once we receive your application to discuss your project, obtain site plans, and determine any additional needs to process your application. All projects will be ranked using our standardized urban ranking forms, then reviewed by our urban committees to determine what projects will receive funding.
Completed project applications will be reviewed by the urban cost share committee within one month of the application due date. Once reviewed, WREC staff will forward applications to our funding agency for approval. If approved, WREC staff will meet with grant recipients to sign contracts and discuss project specifics. No work can be completed prior to the contract signature. Additionally, all work must be completed on a reimbursement basis. Any work completed before the contracts are signed will not be reimbursed.
Application deadlines for urban projects are March 15, 2023.
Check out the map of previous cost share projects throughout our region.
Learning from your Neighbors
Green Tours
Annually, WREC and our partners host a green practices tour highlighting projects your neighbors have completed to improve water quality and pollinator habitat within Greater Lafayette. Join us for a Green Tour to learn how you can transform your backyard or neighborhood into a river-friendly place.
Our most recent green tour was in September 2022 and highlighted urban and agricultural land stewardship and communities. Participants learned about urban cover crops, community sharing gardens, a bio-swale at a multi-family residence, conservation practices in farming, and viewed the art exhibit “On the Banks of the Wabash.” Partner organizations that helped out with this event include The Arts Federation, GrowLocal Lafayette, Urban Soil Health, and Geswein Farm & Land Realty.
