Regional development group reports $25 million watershed grant, asks Chickasaw County for continued support

Representatives of a regional development nonprofit told the Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors Monday that county contributions leverage significant outside funding and asked the board to continue a routine FY2026 contribution.

"We serve seven counties in Northeast Iowa," the organization's executive director said during a presentation. He said the group converts county contributions into broader regional projects and listed a range of services the organization provides, from grant-writing to technical assistance for local governments and small businesses.

The presenter told the board the organization had recently received a major federal grant: "We just received notification in October that we received a $25,000,000 grant to reduce flooding in the Turkey River Watershed," he said. The organization said those funds will be used for flood-plain easements and other conservation practices that can benefit portions of northeast Chickasaw County.

The presenter also described other programs, including assistance with grants for agricultural producers (grain-dryer upgrades, solar energy systems), a mobile apple-juicing press that served 18 orchards and processed more than 2,500 bushels of previously unmarketable fruit, and local projects such as a proposed retention basin in Fredericksburg.

The organization requested the county again fund the group at a level consistent with recent years: an ongoing $6,000 contribution for the RC&D-type services and a separate smaller request tied to water monitoring and Turkey River work. Board members said they would take the request under advisement and consider the funding during upcoming budget work sessions.

No formal appropriation was made at the meeting; supervisors said they would consider the request alongside other nonprofit and department requests during the budget process.