Wyoming Nonpoint Source Program: Section 319 Grant

The Wyoming Nonpoint Source Program, part of the WDEQ's Watershed Protection Program, aims to preserve and restore water quality through voluntary pollution reduction projects. Funded by the Section 319 grant, it allocates nearly $1 million annually to support local entities in implementing effective nonpoint source pollution solutions. These initiatives are prioritized based on water quality needs identified by the WDEQ, fostering collaboration among landowners, groups, and government agencies to enhance watershed health.

As part of the Watershed Protection Program of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ), Water Quality Division (WQD), the Wyoming Nonpoint Source Program works through voluntary and incentive methods to preserve and restore the quality of Wyoming’s surface and ground water resources.
To do this, the Nonpoint Source Program relies on voluntary implementation of nonpoint source pollution reduction projects by individual landowners, local groups, and other state, local, and federal government agencies in a cooperative effort to address water quality improvements on a watershed scale.
Nonpoint source pollution is caused by surface water runoff that is diffuse in nature and often widespread, making it difficult to assess the source of the problem. It is different from point source pollution, which can be traced back to a single defined source.
Through the Section 319 grant, the WDEQ provides a little under $1,000,000 each year to public and private entities, such as conservation districts, nonprofit organizations, watershed groups, school systems, and government agencies, to design and implement projects that reduce and prevent nonpoint source pollution. The WDEQ and the Nonpoint Source Task Force prioritize 319 funding for on-the-ground watershed restoration/protection projects and projects that address specific water quality topics that are documented as a priority by the WDEQ.