WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 28, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — The DEQ today announced grants totaling almost $3.1 million to improve water quality in Michigan lakes and streams. These grants will help restore impaired waters and protect high-quality waters by reducing nonpoint sources of sediment, nutrients and other contaminants.
Organizations and projects selected to receive funding include:
• Legacy Land Conservancy, $368,048 to complete three permanent conservation easements in Jackson and Washtenaw Counties and conduct outreach to landowners in the River Raisin watershed.
• Land Conservancy of West Michigan, $325,041 to develop ordinances and a conservation easement to permanently protect portions of the Duck Creek watershed in Muskegon County.
• Clinton County Conservation District, $223,771 to implement educational activities and best management practices to control agricultural and residential sources of sediment, nutrients and bacteria in the Upper Maple River watershed.
• Ottawa County Conservation District, $491,129 to improve the fishery and reduce pathogens from livestock and human sources in the Bass River and Deer Creek watersheds.
• Clinton River Watershed Council, $34,254 to increase the use of best management practices in Macomb County’s East Pond Creek watershed.
• Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, $277,578 to restore and protect riparian buffers and improve local ordinances in the Elk River watershed in Antrim County.
• Huron County Conservation District, $522,025 to install best management practices to control bacteria and nutrients from agricultural sources in the Bad Axe Creek watershed.
• Friends of the Rouge, $179,234 to construct rain gardens on residential properties in Wayne County’s Johnson and Tonquish Creek watersheds.
• Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, $600,000 to protect priority wetland parcels in the Berrien and Van Buren County portions of the Ox Creek watershed and conduct an outreach campaign targeting agricultural sediment sources.
• Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, $53,000 to complete permanent conservation easements on two high-priority parcels in the Bear Creek watershed of Manistee County.
These grants are funded under the federal Clean Water Act – Section 319 and the Clean Michigan Initiative – Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Grants Program. Grants are offered via an annual request for proposals cycle posted at www.michigan.gov/deqnps.
Contact
Robert Sweet, 517-284-5520,
Karen Tommasulo, 517-284-6716, 
