Gulf Hypoxia Program (GHP) Priority Watershed Implementation Grants
This Illinois EPA grant funds projects that use best management practices to reduce nitrate pollution in priority watersheds, improving local water quality and reducing hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.
Funder: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Due Dates (Anticipated): November 2026 (Full application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: No minimum or maximum award; recent rounds offered ~$337,000 total; up to 80% of project costs covered, 2-year project period.
Summary: Supports edge-of-field projects that reduce nitrate loads in Illinois surface waters, protecting public water supplies and addressing nutrient-driven hypoxia.
Key Information: Only projects in specified priority watersheds and using specific BMPs are eligible.
Description
The Gulf Hypoxia Program (GHP) Priority Watershed Implementation Grants, administered by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Bureau of Water, fund projects that implement edge-of-field controls to prevent, eliminate, or reduce nitrate loads in Illinois’ surface waters—especially those serving as public water supply sources. The program aims to decrease nutrient loading that contributes to hypoxia in downstream waters (such as the Gulf of Mexico), while also protecting local drinking water sources. Eligible projects must be located in designated priority watersheds and utilize approved best management practices (BMPs).
