Posts in category: Grant Projects

As Iowa’s largest river cleanup, Iowa Project AWARE pairs hands-on action with lasting impact. Volunteers don’t just remove trash, they learn about the history, ecology, and culture of our waterways, building appreciation and stewardship across the state. Grant funds will be used to rent equipment, purchase event logistical supplies, and support educational outreach for hundreds of volunteers who join the Iowa Project AWARE river cleanup this July on the Turkey and Little Turkey Rivers in northeast Iowa.

About Iowa Project AWARE:
Iowa Project AWARE — A Watershed Awareness River Expedition — is the state’s largest river cleanup event. The event educates participants while improving the health of Iowa’s rivers and streams.

Wings2Water offers two types of grants to deserving organizations and individuals that help fulfill the mission of our organization. One is for educational programs; the other is for projects that improve and/or restore water quality or help reduce nutrient pollution runoff.

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all grant recipients this year,” said Rebekah Jones, Wings2Water Board President. “With a surge in applications, we’re seeing a growing commitment within our communities to address water quality issues, and we’re incredibly proud of the diverse range of initiatives these funds will support. Together, we’re making strides toward cleaner water locally and downstream.”

These grants are made possible by generous support from corporate sponsors including GreenState Credit Union, TrueNorth, and New Leader Manufacturing, as well as round-it-up donations from travelers at the Eastern Iowa Airport.

Grant money will help fund the construction of a new wetland proposed for the 72-acre Stark Settlement, near Morgan Creek County Park. This wetland’s drainage area flows into Morgan Creek, an important waterway for Cedar Rapids, as the wells the city draws its drinking water from are located near where Morgan Creek enters the Cedar River. The Stark Settlement wetland project will provide numerous water-quality and wildlife-habitat benefits to the Morgan Creek watershed. This site will also provide vital recreational and educational opportunities for the Cedar Rapids metro area.

About Linn County Conservation:
Linn County Conservation is a department of Linn County committed to preserving and protecting natural resources while enriching the community through outdoor recreation and nature-based education. The department manages more than 9,000 acres—about 2 percent of the county’s land—encompassing over 30 parks, trails, and natural areas. With more than 100 miles of trails, 300 campsites, and the education hub at the Wickiup Hill Learning Center, a wide range of opportunities are available for hiking, biking, camping, hunting, and fishing. With policy direction from the Linn County Conservation Board, the department ensures that residents and visitors can enjoy high-quality outdoor experiences while safeguarding these landscapes for future generations.

Wings2Water offers two types of grants to deserving organizations and individuals that help fulfill the mission of our organization. One is for educational programs; the other is for projects that improve and/or restore water quality or help reduce nutrient pollution runoff.

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all grant recipients this year,” said Rebekah Jones, Wings2Water Board President. “With a surge in applications, we’re seeing a growing commitment within our communities to address water quality issues, and we’re incredibly proud of the diverse range of initiatives these funds will support. Together, we’re making strides toward cleaner water locally and downstream.”

These grants are made possible by generous support from corporate sponsors including GreenState Credit Union, TrueNorth, and New Leader Manufacturing, as well as round-it-up donations from travelers at the Eastern Iowa Airport.

With the help of Wings2Water, Creekside Pride will purchase testing kits to kick-start a volunteer water-monitoring program on Indian and Wanatee Creeks in Marion. These results will be uploaded to the Clean Water Hub to provide the public with information about their local watershed and convey long-term trends of each site. Testing will include nitrates, chloride, phosphate, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, and pH. Overall, the project will help Creekside Pride engage more residents on the importance of clean water and identify any red flags in the creek.

Wings2Water offers two types of grants to deserving organizations and individuals that help fulfill the mission of our organization. One is for educational programs; the other is for projects that improve and/or restore water quality or help reduce nutrient pollution runoff.

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all grant recipients this year,” said Rebekah Jones, Wings2Water Board President. “With a surge in applications, we’re seeing a growing commitment within our communities to address water quality issues, and we’re incredibly proud of the diverse range of initiatives these funds will support. Together, we’re making strides toward cleaner water locally and downstream.”

These grants are made possible by generous support from corporate sponsors including GreenState Credit Union, TrueNorth, and New Leader Manufacturing, as well as round-it-up donations from travelers at the Eastern Iowa Airport.

The University of Dubuque is tracking environmental and ecological changes at stream sites on the property of New Melleray Abbey in Dubuque County. The Abbey, along with help from UD Environmental Studies students, has been restoring streams on their property through the installation of artificial beaver dams (called beaver dam analogues) and the planting of forest and prairie buffer strips. Students are investigating how these restoration efforts in agricultural land will affect biodiversity. With the award from Wings2Water, they will also compare water quality between restoration and control sites. 

The University hopes this project will provide a framework for farmers who wish to convert some of their farmland to natural ecosystems to improve local water quality and the biodiversity of riparian systems.

About The University of Dubuque:
At the University of Dubuque, they’re committed to helping students from Iowa’s community colleges complete their undergraduate degrees with direction, affordability, and efficiency.

Wings2Water offers two types of grants to deserving organizations and individuals that help fulfill the mission of our organization. One is for educational programs; the other is for projects that improve and/or restore water quality or help reduce nutrient pollution runoff.

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all grant recipients this year,” said Rebekah Jones, Wings2Water Board President. “With a surge in applications, we’re seeing a growing commitment within our communities to address water quality issues, and we’re incredibly proud of the diverse range of initiatives these funds will support. Together, we’re making strides toward cleaner water locally and downstream.”

These grants are made possible by generous support from corporate sponsors including GreenState Credit Union, TrueNorth, and New Leader Manufacturing, as well as round-it-up donations from travelers at the Eastern Iowa Airport.

Northeast Iowa RC&D and many volunteer organizations have been collecting and analyzing water quality in the Upper Iowa River Watershed for over 25 years. This Wings2Water award allows the organization to continue the program and also make the data available to the public using an interactive platform on the www.upperiowariver.org website.  

About Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation & Development:

Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development, Inc. is located in the far northeast corner of Iowa in the community of Postville. We are a 501(c)(3) organization serving a seven-county region including Allamakee, Buchanan, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek counties, as well as outside this area when benefits are expected to come back to the region.

Northeast Iowa RC&D works on between 50 and 75 projects annually. To ensure those projects are successful, the employees make it a priority to give a voice to and partner with as many individuals, stakeholders, and organizations, as possible. Directors volunteer their time and resources to provide oversight and support for the staff and projects.

Wings2Water offers two types of grants to deserving organizations and individuals that help fulfill the mission of our organization. One is for educational programs; the other is for projects that improve and/or restore water quality or help reduce nutrient pollution runoff.

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all grant recipients this year,” said Rebekah Jones, Wings2Water Board President. “With a surge in applications, we’re seeing a growing commitment within our communities to address water quality issues, and we’re incredibly proud of the diverse range of initiatives these funds will support. Together, we’re making strides toward cleaner water locally and downstream.”

These grants are made possible by generous support from corporate sponsors including GreenState Credit Union, TrueNorth, and New Leader Manufacturing, as well as round-it-up donations from travelers at the Eastern Iowa Airport.

The Nitrate Watch program is on a mission to combat the nutrient pollution that threatens ecosystems and public health. Through free testing kits and an easy-to-use digital platform, they make it possible for anyone to monitor their tap water or favorite local stream and share findings with the world. Following a historic 2025 that saw over 6,600 nitrate readings nationwide, the community’s passion for clean water has never been stronger.

Iowa, in particular, has become the heart of this movement, accounting for more than half of all participation. As they head into a record-breaking 2026, this grant from Wings2Water provides the critical resources needed to keep Nitrate Watch kits free and support the surging number of volunteers ready to protect their local watersheds and drinking water sources.

About Izaak Walton League’s Nitrate Watch:
The Izaak Walton League’s Nitrate Watch program equips volunteers and partner organizations with nitrate test strips and empowers them to monitor their water, share their results, and advocate for solutions.

Request a FREE Nitrate Watch Kit and they will send you everything you need to measure nitrate in your drinking water or local waterways. See what’s in the kit, or investigate their Nitrate Watch Frequently Asked Questions for more info about monitoring, using the kit, and interpreting your results.

Wings2Water offers two types of grants to deserving organizations and individuals that help fulfill the mission of our organization. One is for educational programs; the other is for projects that improve and/or restore water quality or help reduce nutrient pollution runoff.

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all grant recipients this year,” said Rebekah Jones, Wings2Water Board President. “With a surge in applications, we’re seeing a growing commitment within our communities to address water quality issues, and we’re incredibly proud of the diverse range of initiatives these funds will support. Together, we’re making strides toward cleaner water locally and downstream.”

These grants are made possible by generous support from corporate sponsors including GreenState Credit Union, TrueNorth, and New Leader Manufacturing, as well as round-it-up donations from travelers at the Eastern Iowa Airport.

Grant money will be used to expand NewBoCo’s CoderDojo to include environmentally focused station activities, with the goal of increasing awareness of local water quality issues and encouraging student interest in water quality testing of purchased water and locally collected outdoor water samples.

About New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative:
The New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative, Inc. (NewBoCo) is a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in the New Bohemia neighborhood of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. NewBoCo’s programming supports entrepreneurship, innovation, and tech education to help Iowans become more resilient and thrive in a changing economy.

Wings2Water offers two types of grants to deserving organizations and individuals that help fulfill the mission of our organization. One is for educational programs; the other is for projects that improve and/or restore water quality or help reduce nutrient pollution runoff.

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all grant recipients this year,” said Rebekah Jones, Wings2Water Board President. “With a surge in applications, we’re seeing a growing commitment within our communities to address water quality issues, and we’re incredibly proud of the diverse range of initiatives these funds will support. Together, we’re making strides toward cleaner water locally and downstream.”

These grants are made possible by generous support from corporate sponsors including GreenState Credit Union, TrueNorth, and New Leader Manufacturing, as well as round-it-up donations from travelers at the Eastern Iowa Airport.

Wings2Water is awarding $1,000 to the League of Women Voters Upper Mississippi River Region ILO to support their mobile “pop art” conservation exhibit. This traveling display features four freestanding panels and a whimsical oversized aluminum can labeled “Pure Iowa Water”—a fictional brand delivering real-world lessons about nutrient pollution and healthy watersheds. By showcasing landowners who model conservation best practices, the exhibit sparks conversations about protecting water resources and promoting sustainable land use.

The League of Women Voters Upper Mississippi River Region ILO unites 58 local and four state Leagues across the Upper Mississippi watershed, from Minnesota’s headwaters to Illinois’ southern tip. Their mission focuses on reducing nutrient pollution, mitigating climate change, and safeguarding both surface and groundwater. By working across political and geographic boundaries, they bring communities together to address water quality issues that impact millions of people.

Learn more about the League of Women Voters Upper Mississippi River Region ILO here.

As part of the 2025 Wings2Water Grant Awards, we are awarding $10,000 to the Izaak Walton League’s Nitrate Watch Program. This grant will provide more than 300 nitrate test kits for volunteers who are working to monitor and protect local water quality.

All test results are submitted to the Clean Water Hub, a nationwide database that tracks water health across the United States. By equipping and engaging volunteers, the Nitrate Watch Program empowers communities to better understand their water and take action to improve it. To date, nearly 64,000 water quality readings have been reported nationwide.

Why nitrate testing matters

Nitrate is a compound made of nitrogen and oxygen. While nitrogen is essential for plant growth, too much of it—often from fertilizers, manure, and sewage—can create serious risks.
High levels of nitrate in drinking water have been linked to health problems such as certain cancers, thyroid disease, and birth defects. In waterways, nitrate pollution contributes to algae blooms, fish kills, and the creation of dead zones that devastate aquatic ecosystems.

Take the Nitrate Watch Pledge

You can play an important role in protecting water quality. When you take the Nitrate Watch Pledge, you will receive a free nitrate test kit that includes everything you need to measure nitrate levels in your drinking water or local streams.

By participating, you’ll join a growing network of volunteers dedicated to cleaner, healthier water for all.

Wings2Water is proud to award $15,000 to Linn County Conservation as part of our 2025 Grant Awards. The funding will support the construction of a pond/wetland hybrid in Morgan Creek County Park on Cedar Rapids’ southwest side. This innovative system will filter runoff from 145 acres of row-crop farmland, reducing sediment and erosion before it reaches Morgan Creek—and ultimately protecting the Cedar River, a key source of drinking water for Cedar Rapids residents.

Linn County Conservation, a department of Linn County, manages over 9,000 acres of natural areas—more than 2% of the county’s land—including 30+ parks and trails. From hiking, biking, and camping to unique facilities like the Wickiup Hill Learning Center and the county’s arboretum, their work connects people with the outdoors while preserving natural resources for future generations.

Learn more about Linn County Conservation here.