Wings2Water, an environmental nonprofit focused on water quality in the Mississippi River watershed, has announced three grant recipients for 2025.
The Wings2Water grants support projects aimed at improving water quality and raising public awareness of nutrient pollution.
“We’re proud to fund projects that both improve local water quality and educate the public on the urgent need for watershed restoration,” said Wings2Water board president Marty Lenss. “These efforts move us closer to our mission of improving local water quality, as well as a better understanding of the water quality issue in the Mississippi River watershed.”
Linn County Conservation will receive a $15,000 grant to support construction of a pond and wetland hybrid at Morgan Creek County Park in southwest Cedar Rapids. The system will filter runoff from 145 acres of row-crop farmland, reducing sediment and erosion into Morgan Creek. The project is expected to benefit Cedar Rapids’ drinking water, as city wells are located downstream near the Cedar River.
The Izaak Walton League’s Nitrate Watch program was awarded $10,000 to distribute more than 300 nitrate testing kits to volunteers. Participants will upload results to the Clean Water Hub, a national database tracking water quality. The League’s program aims to increase grassroots involvement in water monitoring. Nearly 64,000 water quality readings have been logged by volunteers to date.
The League of Women Voters – Upper Mississippi River Region ILO received a $1,000 grant to support a mobile art exhibit focused on landowners using conservation best practices. The educational display includes four panels and a mock aluminum can labeled “Pure Iowa Water” to highlight nutrient pollution and watershed health. The program focuses on nutrient pollution reduction and impacting the rate of climate change, with attention to both surface and groundwater in the Upper Mississippi Basin.
Funding for the 2025 Wings2Water grant program was provided by sponsors including GreenState Credit Union, TrueNorth and New Leader Manufacturing, along with traveler donations made through the round-it-up program at the Eastern Iowa Airport.
Wings2Water encourages travelers to continue contributing, noting that “small change can make a big difference for clean water.”
