Massive congrats to Ottawa and Huron Conservation Districts on their winning grant proposals totaling $1,691,065 from EGLE (The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy), awarded last week to support the Districts' watershed management projects benefitting wetlands, lakes, and streams.

Ottawa & Huron CDs each received the following project funding to reduce sediment, nutrients, and other contaminants to help restore impaired water bodies and protect high-quality water bodies:

• Ottawa Conservation District: $929,061 to use environmental and social monitoring to target enactment of agricultural best-management practices and septic system repairs and replacements in the Sand and Crockery Creek Watersheds.

• Huron Conservation District: $767,004 for an incentive program targeting agricultural producers that includes structural, vegetative, and managerial best-management practices to reduce sediment, nutrient, and pathogen loads to the Pigeon River and Saginaw Bay.

The 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 through EGLE via an annual request for proposals, with the next opportunity to apply in mid-July at Michigan.gov/NPS.

Applying for grants is a constant and time-consuming process for Michigan's chronically underfunded Conservation Districts. So it's a huge relief when a grant application pays off for a District, and they can continue their crucial local conservation work within our spectacular Great Lakes State

Keep up the "Great" work, Ottawa & Huron CDs!