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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 6, 2024
EGLE Media Office, [email protected], 517-284-9278
Rob Selesky, Grant Contact, [email protected], 517-331-7690
EGLE announces seven grants to control or prevent nonpoint source pollution
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced today about $3.5 million in Nonpoint Source (NPS) Program grants. These funds will support seven projects that will prevent, reduce, or eliminate polluted runoff and other nonpoint sources of pollution.
The purpose of these grants is to implement priority recommendations in approved watershed management plans developed to restore impaired waters and protect high-quality waters by reducing NPS loads of sediment, nutrients, bacteria, and other contaminants. These Nonpoint Pollution Control grants are funded through the Renew Michigan Fund and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319 of the federal Clean Water Act. The projects recommended for funding will:
- Address high levels of bacteria from human sources in the Middle Chippewa River watershed with an educational campaign for homeowners centered on the importance of septic system inspection and maintenance. The project will also implement a septic inspection program on tribal lands with cost share for repair or replacement.
- Replace a misaligned and undersized road-stream crossing in the Grand Traverse Bay watershed, restoring natural flow and sediment transport protecting fish and wildlife in this high-quality watershed.
- Implement agricultural best management practices and replace failing septic systems in the Mid-Shiawassee River, Sand Creek, and Crockery Creek watersheds to address sources of sediment, nutrient, and coli impairments.
- Implement outreach and education efforts that will lead to installation of agricultural best management practices in the Paw Paw River watershed to address sources of sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus as well as reducing pathogens.
- Protect approximately 130 acres in the Upper River Raisin watershed and 163 acres in the Augusta Creek watershed with water quality-based permanent conservation easements. Combined, these easements will protect over a mile of shoreline and over 100 acres of wetlands.
The following Michigan based organizations have been awarded funding:
- Legacy Land Conservancy, Ann Arbor: $363,341
- Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, Galesburg: $424,645
- Ottawa Conservation District, Grand Haven: $568,928
- Isabella Conservation District, Mt. Pleasant: $335,000
- Shiawassee Conservation District, Owosso: $594,083
- Van Buren Conservation District, Paw Paw: $568,618
- The Watershed Center, Traverse City: $591,047
A total of 27 applications requesting about $11 million were received in response to the request for proposals.
The grants are issued by EGLE's NPS Program, which helps local stakeholders reduce pollution and excess runoff by supporting efforts to develop and launch watershed management plans. The NPS Program typically issues three requests for proposals each year with the next available opportunities released over the next few months. They will be posted at Michigan.gov/NPS.
To stay up to date on EGLE news, follow Michigan.gov/MIEnvironment.
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