Protecting lakes and stream is a priority for environmental officials in Michigan. This year they’ve awarded more than four million dollars in grant funding to do just that.
Bob Sweet is an aquatic biologist for the Department of Environmental Quality. He says there are several ways organizations are working to improve water quality.
“Installing best management practices. Those can be like exclusion for cattle or buffer strips along the edges of fields. Also we can do things like work on zoning and planning ordinances and permanent conservation easements for water quality improvement”.
Sweet says many projects include outreach efforts to educate people of ways to improve water quality.
“Most people don't realize that their day to day activities actually do have an impact on water quality. Some people think the ditch next to their house is a good place to sweep their lawn clippings or store their leaves because it eventually goes away. But it also impacts things down stream and also right there at the site. It degrades water quality. So if you don't know that's actually a problem, you’ll keep doing that”.
Sweet says beyond public outreach and installing best management practices, this year many projects are aimed at replacing failing septic systems near lakes and streams.
Full list of project recipients:
Shiawassee Conservation District will receive $839,828
Lenawee Conservation District will receive $769,336
City of Royal Oak will receive $175,981
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council will receive $129,343
Ottawa County Water Resource Commissioner will receive $600,000
Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy will receive $211,750
Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway will receive $251,782
University of Michigan will receive $346,286
Clinton River Watershed Council will receive $159,739
Leelanau Conservancy will receive $452,877
Bay County Drain Commissioner will receive $397,780