City of Findlay Wins $150,000 for Urban Prairie Pilot Project

The City of Findlay was one of nine cities in the United States to win a 2026 Healthy and Sustainable Communities Award from American Beverage, the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America and the United States Conference of Mayors. They won first place in the Small City category.

Findlay will receive $150,000 for its Urban Prairie Pilot Project.

The project is a model for sustainability and will convert flood-damaged, city-owned turfgrass in the Blanchard River floodplain into a five-acre native prairie with trails, trees, educational features, and long-term ecological management.

It is in partnership with Wild Toledo and the Blanchard River Watershed Partnership.

The project is designed to improve stormwater infiltration and water quality, reduce flooding and erosion, cut maintenance costs by 80 to 90%, increase biodiversity, provide accessible green space and environmental education, and create a replicable model for prairie conversion on flood mitigation lands.