The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) today announced two grants totaling $276,000 for developing watershed management plans to control polluted runoff. The plans will gather key information, set local priorities and select best management practices, with an aim to reduce sources of sediment, nutrients and bacteria.
These two watershed management planning projects are funded through the federal Clean Water Act. The projects will make contributions to improving local lakes, streams and wetlands.
The following organizations were awarded funding:
- Washtenaw County Conservation District, $175,033, to develop a new watershed management plan for the Ottawa/Stony Creek watershed, a tributary to the Western Lake Erie Basin. This primarily agricultural area discharges pollutants such as sediment, nutrients and bacteria into Lake Erie. The project will include agricultural surveys, water quality monitoring, wetland assessment and stakeholder focus groups to gather information about current conditions and select the best strategies for addressing local and Lake Erie water related issues.
- River Raisin Watershed Council, $100,967, to develop a new watershed management plan for the Upper Wolf Creek watershed, a tributary of the River Raisin with known water quality impairments and concerns about harmful algal blooms. The project includes water quality monitoring, agricultural surveys, wetland assessment and modeling to prioritize pollutant sources and help choose solutions.
EGLE’s Nonpoint Source Program issues annual requests for proposals for projects implementing approved watershed management plans. The next request for proposals will be available in mid-July and posted at Michigan.gov/NPS.
In May, the Nonpoint Source Program announced 18 grants totaling $600,000 for projects that will support watershed organizations with conservation and educational efforts. In June, 11 grants totaling more than $4.7 million were announced for watershed management projects that will benefit wetlands, lakes and streams.
SOURCE: The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
