Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program

The Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP) was created by Ohio EPA and has been part of the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) since 2000. The intent of the WRRSP is to address non-point source projects (NPS) that have been an historically under-assisted category of water resource needs in SRF programs. The goal of the WRRSP is to counter the loss of ecological function and biological diversity that jeopardize the health of Ohio's water resources. To achieve this goal, the WRRSP provides funding for the implementation of projects that specifically target the protection or restoration of high-quality streams and wetlands. Protection projects involve the long-term protection of high-quality quality water resources. Restoration projects involve addressing impairments to the water resource and their long-term protection. Any area where WRRSP money is spent for protection and/or restoration must be encumbered with an environmental covenant. Website: Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance Governing Statute: Ohio Revised Code 6111.036 Eligibility: Public or private, non-profit entities. Specifications: The Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP) was created to counter the loss of ecological function and biological diversity that jeopardizes the health of Ohio's water resources. This program funds both preservation and restoration of aquatic habitat to accomplish this goal. The WRRSP relies on having a sponsoring wastewater loan from the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF). The WRRSP sponsor can be a different entity than the WRRSP implementer. Funds for WRRSP projects will be made available by advancing a portion of the estimated amount of interest to be repaid by the sponsor over the life of the WPCLF loan. Application Deadline: Nominations are accepted on an annual basis, with a deadline typically in late summer, for the upcoming program year, which begins January 1. Restoration projects which are identified as fundable will meet program requirements in the first year, and then receive their assistance award in the second year. Protection projects which are identified as fundable will either follow a one-year fast-track schedule or a two-year schedule similar to restoration projects. Contact: Steve Malone Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance 614.644.3663 [email protected] October 15, 2021 | Agency AOA's BTG Pactual Addition to Salt Creek Narrows Project - Photo credits: EnviroScience & Steve Fleegal Water resources are among Ohio's most valuable assets, and while significant progress has been made to maintain and improve these resources, habitat siltation continue to impair overall water quality. The Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP) was created by Ohio EPA and has been part of the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) since 2000. The intent of the WRRSP is to address non-point source projects (NPS) that have been an historically under-assisted category of water resource needs in SRF programs. While significant progress has been made in reducing the impact of discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants on water quality, in large part due to financial assistance provided through the WPCLF, the best available data indicates that impacts from nonpoint source runoff, habitat degradation, and watershed disturbances continue to impede over-all rates of water resource improvements and threaten much of the progress that has been made The goal of the WRRSP is to counter the loss of ecological function and biological diversity that jeopardize the health of Ohio's water resources. To achieve this goal, the WRRSP provides funding to implement projects that specifically target the protection or restoration of high-quality streams and wetlands. Protection projects involve the long-term protection of high-quality quality water resources. Restoration projects involve addressing impairments to the water resource and their long-term protection.