WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2006 - Deputy Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner announced today that more than $9 million in grants will be awarded to universities nationwide to address water supply and water quality issues such as improving drinking water quality, enhancing lawn care practices and protecting watersheds.

"Producers need to ensure their lands provide safe, reliable sources of water for our nation's communities," Conner said. "These projects will create and share knowledge that ensures availability of clean water to protect human health, help farmers, and protect the environment."

The USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) funded these grants through its National Integrated Water Quality Program. The goal of the CSREES National Integrated Water Quality Program is to improve the quality of the nation's surface water and groundwater resources. This program includes regional and national water quality coordination projects along with watershed-scale projects to support integrated, multifunctional agricultural research, extension and education activities. Funded projects lead to science-based decision making and management practices that improve the quality of the nation's surface water and groundwater resources in agricultural, rural and urbanizing watersheds.

Competitively awarded national and watershed-scale projects in fiscal year 2006 include:

Duke University, $570,000

Iowa State University, $598,000

Kansas State University, $598,000

Montana State University, $100,000

Ohio State University, $165,000

Purdue University, $598,000

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, $570,000

University of New Hampshire, $480,000

University of Rhode Island, $180,000

University of Vermont, $390,000

University of Wisconsin, $99,000

In addition to these awards, nine regional water quality coordination projects were awarded continuation grants.

These projects include:

Colorado State University, $586,080

Iowa State University, $208,581

Rutgers University, $544,498

Texas A&M University, $1,238,490

University of Arizona, $550,000

University of Idaho, $586,080

University of Maryland, $603,000

University of Rhode Island, $606,867

University of Wisconsin, $601,920

CSREES advances knowledge for agriculture, the environment, human health and well-being, and communities by supporting research, education, and extension programs in the Land-Grant University System and other partner organizations. For more information, visit http://www.csrees.usda.gov