Indiana LARE Watershed Land Treatment Program

Indiana DNR's LARE program, funded by boat registration fees, pays farmers and other land users in targeted lake and river watersheds to install practices that cut sediment and nutrient runoff. Local soil and water conservation districts hold the grant and sign up land users, who receive up to 80% cost-share plus per-acre incentives for practices such as buffers, cover crops and exclusion fencing.

• Land users (landowners or long-term lease holders) in a watershed where a LARE diagnostic study or Section 319 plan has identified significant pollution sources and the local SWCD has a WLTP grant.

• Practices must meet NRCS Field Office Technical Guide standards and be in a conservation plan.

• Practices must be approved before installation.

Up to 80% cost-share; LARE pays 85% of earned cost-share, holding 15% until completion. No more than 50% of one WLTP grant may be used for cover crops. Practices maintained for their prescribed life span.

Published amounts: Cost-share amounts for a practice may be up to 80% of the total practice implementation cost, not to exceed the maximum allowed pursuant descriptions and tables below. Incentives include $600 or $650 per acre for certain practices; cover crops cost-shared at 80% not to exceed $40.00 per acre with a maximum of 300 acres/year.

Land users apply through their county Soil and Water Conservation District; SWCDs submit WLTP grant applications to LARE.

Deadline text on the page: WLTP guidelines (Sept 2026): "Applications for WLTP projects must be submitted by SWCD's by December 31st of the year prior to proposed project operations." LARE page: "LARE applications are due by Jan. 15 of the year grants are awarded."