MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Gov. Tony Evers along with the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs (DMA) announced Thursday, Feb. 26, $2 million in grants that will go toward communities and organizations impacted by significant flooding in recent years. 

The Pre-Disaster Flood Resilience Grant (PDFRG) was created by Gov. Evers in 2024 and is administered by Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM). 

“We all know that Wisconsin is no stranger to devastating flooding, affecting folks’ lives and livelihoods and costing Wisconsinites millions of dollars in damage to homes, businesses, local infrastructure, and the environment,” said Gov. Evers. “Especially as communities in our state are still recovering from the devastating floods we experienced in August, getting these funds out the door and into the hands of partners across the state to help communities mitigate the impacts of flooding and build flood-resilient infrastructure is more important than ever.”

There are two types of grants available via the PDFRG for assessment and implementation:

• Assessment grants offer funding for gathering information on vulnerabilities and flood resilience priorities, such as understanding erosion hazards or identifying opportunities to increase flood resilience; and
• Implementation grants offer funding for the implementation of wetland, culvert, floodplain, or stream restoration projects identified through an assessment grant or comparable assessment project. These restoration projects include reconnecting streams and floodplains and improving the natural flow of water or sediment.

According to a news release, the grant program is open to Wisconsin municipalities, counties, regional planning commissions, federally recognized Native Nations or Bands, or nonprofit organizations and private consulting organizations on behalf of one or more applicants.

Interest in the program exceeded the funding available, according to Gov. Evers' office, as WEM received 21 applications totaling over $2.6 million. Statewide, 15 communities received approximately $2 million in grant funding, including:

City of Fond du Lac | $123,750

An assessment grant to study water flow and hydraulic structure, as well as to analyze flood mitigation alternatives.

City of Madison | $250,000

An implementation grant to remove the concrete channel on Castle Creek in Warner Park and restore it to a wetland to better absorb flood waters.

City of Stevens Point | $225,000

An assessment grant to study water flow and hydraulic structure in three sub-watersheds of the Wisconsin River that cover 35 percent of the city.

City of Watertown | $133,575

An assessment grant to study water flow and hydraulic structure, as well as looking at alternatives to storm sewer upgrades.

Jefferson County | $45,000

An assessment grant to study water flow and alternative prioritization countywide.

Milwaukee County Parks | $75,959.87

An assessment grant to study water flow and hydraulic structure, as well as looking at mitigation options for the flood-prone Milwaukee County Sports Complex in Franklin.

Oneida Nation | $300,000

An assessment grant to create a culvert inventory, as well as studying water flow and hydraulic structure.

Ozaukee County | $250,000

An implementation grant to reconnect Milwaukee River wetlands and floodplains and to restore habitat along County Highway Trunk W, where the highway acts as a levee, isolating the river from its historic floodplain and exacerbating flooding.

Pepin County | $60,000

An assessment grant to study water flow and complete detailed floodplain mapping along the Arkansaw Creek, which is prone to flash flooding during periods of heavy precipitation.

Vernon County | $63,156.13

An assessment grant to study water flow and hydraulic structure to focus on planning for property buyout locations.

Washington County | $75,000

An assessment grant to study water flow and hydraulic structure, as well as to analyze flood mitigation alternatives in the Germantown area.

Town of Lebanon (Dodge County) | $18,225

An assessment grant to determine why Rock River flood flows have been increasing over historic levels and evaluate alternatives for mitigation.

Town of Marengo (Ashland County) | $178,584

An implementation grant to create a design for erosion control to improve fluvial flood hazards along Eade Road, which will contribute to a regional flood reduction strategy in the Marengo River watershed.

Town of Oakland (Douglas County) | $45,000

An assessment grant to create a culvert inventory for the township. Funding would also go towards studying water flow and hydraulic structure.

Village of Bristol | $156,750

An assessment grant to study water flow and hydraulic structure to inform the village of flood risks.