WC Wisconsin News

When La Crosse County began receiving American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding in 2021, the Land Conservation Department identified a need to upgrade stormwater infrastructure in rural areas. Many towns had outdated or inadequate systems that were unable to handle more frequent flooding events, resulting in flooded roads and private properties as well as increased polluted runoff into rivers and streams.

To address these issues, the La Crosse County Board created a $2 million Stormwater Infrastructure Grant Program using ARPA funds. The program offered competitive grants for stormwater projects in unincorporated parts of the county, focusing on areas with the greatest need and limited ability to fund improvements.

The program received significant interest. Over two rounds of funding, more than a dozen projects across Campbell, Shelby, Onalaska, Farmington, and Holland received grants totaling $2 million. Including local matching contributions, over $3.2 million has been invested in infrastructure upgrades throughout the county.

“This investment will have a long-lasting, positive impact,” said County Board Chair Tina Tryggestad. “It’s also a great example of collaboration to protect homes and public infrastructure from flood risks.”

County staff reviewed each project application and prioritized those that could reduce flood risk and improve water quality. Projects still in early design stages could receive up to $50,000; fully designed projects ready for construction could receive up to $500,000.

The largest grant was awarded to Shelby’s Wedgewood Valley project: $500,000 from the county plus $210,000 in local matching funds. This project includes ditching work, sediment control measures, and upgraded storm sewers aimed at reducing flood risk for about 150 homes after recent flash floods caused approximately $280,000 in damage.

“The ARPA program funds allowed the Town of Shelby to complete three important stormwater projects that were otherwise not possible due to our limited budget,” said Shelby Town Chair Tim Candahl.

In Campbell, grant funding supported improvements on Pierce Avenue as well as several earlier-stage projects elsewhere in town. “Without the assistance of grants, it’s extremely difficult for the town to afford projects of this magnitude,” said Jason Hilton, Public Works Director for Campbell.

Other funded efforts included work in Apple Valley and Thunderbird Hills within Onalaska. There, ditching work, culvert replacements and infiltration basins will help manage runoff and mitigate flooding; these two designed projects together received $600,000 from the county.

As of August 2025, Shelby’s Wedgewood Valley project is nearing completion—the final initiative under this round of grant funding—marking the close of a program focused on building community resilience through local partnerships.

By combining federal resources with local expertise through its stormwater grant program La Crosse County has helped towns protect their roads, homes and waterways against severe storms and flash flooding—investments intended to benefit residents well into the future.

During this same period when infrastructure improvements were underway across La Crosse County communities such as Onalaska—which also participated in these upgrades—Onalaska High School was among those with high student enrollment during the 2023-24 school year (https://dpi.wi.gov/).

White students made up about three-quarters of La Crosse County's school population during that year (https://dpi.wi.gov/), while Asian students represented just over nine percent (https://dpi.wi.gov/). Multiracial students accounted for 7.4% of all students enrolled locally (https://dpi.wi.gov/).