St. Lawrence County will receive $482,555 from the state to address water quality concerns in the Racquette River Watershed, which serves the Village of Potsdam.

The project is just one of 29 projects announced by State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball.

A total of $11.1 million has been awarded to support agricultural water quality conservation projects across the state, benefiting a total of 116 farms.

The funding, provided to County Soil and Water Conservation Districts through the Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control Program, will help farmers with projects that prevent water pollution, reduce erosion and limit harmful sediments and other nutrients in New York’s waterways. The program received a record number of applications—a total of 99—this year, demonstrating the agricultural community’s growing commitment to environmental stewardship.

In St. Lawrence County $482,555 was awarded to the St. Lawrence County Soil and Water Conservation Department for the implementation of “best management conservation practices to address agricultural water quality concerns on one farm in the Raquette River Watershed which is within the Village of Potsdam’s water supply.”

The conservation practices will include the implementation of an agricultural waste storage. This practice will keep nutrients and other pollutants out of the river while helping the farm remain economically viable.

Chairman of the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee Dale Stein said, “Funding provided through the Ag Non-Point Source Program supports the local conservation efforts of farmers across New York State. The continuous support of the Environmental Protection Fund provides our state’s agricultural community with the platform to implement innovative best management practices and protect the state’s natural resources through effective environmental stewardship.”