The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has announced 17 grants totaling over $600,000 for projects that will support watershed organizations with conservation and educational efforts.

The Watershed Council Support grants are funded under Michigan's Public Act 119 of 2023. Grants are limited to $40,000 per applicant, and the projects will be completed within a year of receiving the grants.

Among the activities funded are organizational and administrative support for watershed organizations; and outreach and educational activities for a variety of watershed issues including new efforts for underrepresented audiences, design and installation of best management practices to improve water quality, purchase of needed equipment and supplies, developing watershed management plan elements, water quality monitoring, assessment of environmental justice issues and audiences, and desktop and field inventories of nonpoint sources (NPS) of pollution.

Michigan-based organizations and projects selected to receive funding:

• Adrian: River Raisin Watershed Council, $39,974.
• Ann Arbor: Huron River Watershed Council, $23,304.
• Bay City: Bay County Soil Conservation District, $39,050.
• Cassopolis: Diamond Lake Association, $40,000.
• Centreville: St. Joseph County Conservation District, $39,868.
• Detroit: Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, $40,000.
• Flint: City of Flint Water Pollution Control, $40,000.
• Grand Rapids: Calvin University, $37,100.
• Hesperia: White River Watershed Partnership, $15,000.
• Ishpeming: Marquette County Road Commission, $39,553.
• Ithaca: Gratiot Conservation District, $38,965.
• Kingsford: Dickinson Conservation District, $39,973.
• Lake City: Missaukee Conservation District, $38,876.
• Montague: White Lake Association, $39,999.
• Mount Pleasant: Isabella Conservation District, $34,550.
• Rochester Hills: Clinton River Watershed Council, $40,000.
• Roscommon: Gerrish Lyon Utility Authority, $40,000.

A total of 68 applications requesting over $2.5 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. The latest is posted on EGLE’s NPS Program webpage.

To stay up to date on EGLE news, follow Michigan.gov/MIEnvironment.