Championing Water Quality Funding: Chris Mikolajczyk, CLM Joins NALMS in Washington, DC

When it comes to restoring lakes and safeguarding watershed health, effective and sustainable solutions depend on science, partnerships, and sustained investment. Princeton Hydro Senior Manager of Aquatics Chris Mikolajczyk, CLM was invited as one of the select experts chosen to represent the North American Lake Management Society’s (NALMS) 314 Working Group in Washington, DC to contribute technical insight and real world expertise during discussions with congressional staff and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) leadership about the policies and funding resources that help communities across the country address nonpoint source pollution.

What This Visit Represented for Watershed Management & Water Quality

There are several federal funding programs that states, tribes, local governments, and nonprofits rely on to support critical water-quality improvement initiatives. Among them, Clean Water Act Section 319(h) is a cornerstone program that supports nonpoint source management projects like watershed-based planning, stormwater retrofits, riparian restoration, and targeted education programs. It is administered by USEPA and delivered through states and qualified tribes, and funding typically requires a nonfederal cost share to leverage local investment. In recent federal budget cycles, elements of this funding landscape have faced proposed reductions or complete eliminations by the current administration, including sharp reductions to the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.

Against that backdrop, the NALMS 314 Working Group organized a bipartisan “fly in” to share data, case studies, and practical policy options with Senate offices and USEPA’s Office of Water, emphasizing how programs like Section 319 translate into measurable, local water quality gains. The group, which included Committee Member Mark Heilman; NALMS Board Member Ben Rhoades; government strategist Drue Winters; and NALMS Past-President Chris Mikolajczyk, CLM, held meetings with the offices of Senators Wicker (R-MS), Markey (D-MA), Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Sanders (D-VT); both majority and minority staff of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works; and the EPA Office of Water leadership.

Another focal point of the DC conversations was the National Lakes Assessment (NLA), a statistically rigorous survey of lake conditions conducted every five years by USEPA and its state and tribal partners. The most recent NLA, fielded in 2022, provides nationally consistent insight into ecosystem health, key stressors, and recreational indicators, and it helps policymakers understand where water quality is improving or declining and how to target investments.

A Closer Look at Section 319(h)

Created under the Clean Water Act, Section 319(h) is one of the nation’s primary funding tools for tackling runoff driven water quality issues. Through this program, states and tribes can invest in incentive-based, nonpoint source pollution reduction projects. Examples of activities eligible for 319(h) funding include watershed-based planning, BMP implementation, education and outreach, and water quality assessment and monitoring.

Because 319(h) is administered through state programs, it supports local priorities while aligning with national goals. Over time, this approach has enabled communities to design watershed specific strategies, from agricultural and urban stormwater controls to nature-based green infrastructure, and to document water quality improvements with consistent methods. In most cases, a 40% non-federal funding match is required.

At Princeton Hydro, we’ve seen firsthand how Section 319(h) translates into action through state run grant programs. In New Jersey, the NJDEP Water Quality Restoration Grants support projects that reduce nonpoint source pollution, mitigate harmful algal blooms, restore riparian areas, enhance watershed and climate resilience, and restore water quality in New Jersey. The grants are funded through Section 319(h) and administered by NJDEP’s Watershed & Land Management Program.

Princeton Hydro is proud to be a partner on five of the 17 projects most recently awarded funding (2025) through NJDEP’s Water Quality Restoration grants. Our contributions vary by project and encompass activities such as engineering design, water quality assessment, watershed-based planning, and technical support for implementing stormwater and habitat restoration measures. We also supported several partners in developing successful NJDEP Section 319(h) applications, including technical documentation, cost estimates, conceptual designs, and pollutant load reduction estimates.

To take a deeper dive into our most recent collaborations, click here to read our blog: NJDEP Awards $8M for Water Quality Restoration Projects

Advocacy Outcomes

Princeton Hydro is grateful to NALMS and our fellow 314 Working Group members for convening this effort, and to the Senate offices and USEPA leaders who engaged in thoughtful, solutions-oriented conversations. These conversations are already translating into tangible results.

Following these coordinated advocacy efforts Clean Water Act Section 319(h) funding was restored in the federal budget with an increase of $750,000. More broadly, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ultimately fared better than many federal agencies during the most recent budget cycle, with several programs initially proposed for reduction or elimination reinstated through congressional negotiations.

Chris Mikolajczyk is a Certified Lake Manager and aquatic ecologist with over 35 years of experience in conducting the management, oversight, and coordination of water resource projects in three main areas: aquatic resource restoration and management; aquatic ecosystem sampling and investigations; and stormwater quality modeling and management. Chris also manages the design and implementation of watershed restoration projects, many funded by EPA 319(h), such as structural BMPs; bio-engineering techniques for nutrient reduction; development of TMDL pollutant budgets; and watershed-based monitoring programs. To date, Chris has managed projects involving over 100 lakes and reservoirs. Chris has been a member of the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) for over 20 years. In that time, he has served on the Board of Directors, chaired the Professional Certification Committee, and served as president from November 2021- November 2022. He currently serves as Board President for the Colorado Lake and Reservoir Management Association.

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