GLIN==> Great Lakes restoration funding targets soil erosion in key watersheds

For immediate release: June 16, 2010

 

Great Lakes restoration funding targets soil erosion in key watersheds

http://www.glc.org/announce/10/06basin.html 

 

 

Ann Arbor, Mich. – President Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
(GLRI) is targeting $5 million to watersheds that are heavily impacted by
soil erosion and sedimentation. The grant funding will be made available to
local watershed organizations by the Great Lakes Commission under its Great
Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control.

 

Under the recent GLRI award, watershed projects can receive up to $800,000
to provide technical and financial assistance to install conservation
practices in priority watersheds to reduce erosion and sediment entering the
Great Lakes.  Thirty-two applications were received in response to a
pre-proposal request. Five to eight projects are expected to be funded for a
three-year effort.

 

“The Great Lakes are one of our most precious natural resources, and we must
do everything we can to protect water quality, especially from the pollution
caused by eroding soils and sediments,” said Illinois Governor Pat Quinn,
chair of the Great Lakes Commission. “This much-needed funding will ensure
that the Great Lakes Basin Program can continue to protect these waters for
future generations.”

 

The GLRI funding builds on and accelerates ongoing efforts to reduce soil
erosion from tributaries to the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Commission
recently awarded $275,000 under the Basin Program for 10 smaller scale
projects selected under an ongoing cooperative agreement with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

 

According to NRCS Chief Dave White, “This cooperative agreement allows NRCS
and the Great Lakes Commission to take an already effective partnership to
the next level, with the goal of accelerating ongoing efforts to control
soil erosion and sedimentation in the Great Lakes Basin. This expanded
investment in conservation on the region’s working lands will yield
significant dividends for taxpayers and communities, in the form of
decreased pollution and better water quality.”

 

“The Great Lakes are one of our nation’s most valuable natural resources,
and it is our responsibility to preserve and protect them for future
generations,” said U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan. “These funds
will enable local organizations to undertake essential projects that will
help to clear up erosions and sediments from our waterways. In Michigan,
this grant will create partnerships such as those between DNR, conservation
districts and Michigan land owners that strengthen our ability to protect
the Shiawassee River in Saginaw and correct road crossings contributing to
water pollution in Lawrence.”

 

The Great Lakes Basin Program is a unique federal-state partnership to
protect and improve Great Lakes water quality by reducing soil erosion and
controlling sedimentation. The program provides grants to state and local
governments and nonprofit groups to implement soil erosion and sediment
control projects within the Great Lakes Basin. It is administered by the
Great Lakes Commission in cooperation with a regional task force with state
and federal representation. The program was established in 1991 and
reauthorized in the 2007 Farm Bill.

 

To date, the Basin Program has supported more than 400 projects and invested
over $14 million in water quality improvement efforts, with more than $10
million in additional nonfederal matching funds applied to the projects. In
the process, the program has involved hundreds of community volunteers in
watershed improvement projects, improved local ecosystems, and built support
for ongoing environmental restoration efforts. These projects have prevented
an estimated 1.6 million tons of sediment and 6 million pounds of phosphorus
from entering the Great Lakes and tributaries.

 

The 10 Basin Program grants selected for FY2010 funding (previous to the
GLRI announcement) involve erosion and sediment control projects in all
eight Great Lakes states ranging in scale from $17,700 to $30,000. They are
identified in the following list, pending the signing of grant agreements.
Visit http://www.glc.org/basin/projects.html for information on past
projects funded by the Great Lakes Basin Program. 

 

Contact: Gary Overmier

Phone: 734-971-9135  

E-mail: garyo at glc.org 

 

 

_________________________________

 

Kellogg Creek Erosion and Sediment Control – Illinois

$30,000

Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Spring Grove, IL

Contact: Brad Semel, brad.semel at illinois.gov

Installation of approximately 300 feet of longitudinal stone toe protection
on the outside bends of the stream channel to reduce future streambank
erosion. The installed stone toe practice will be inter-planted with native
wetland vegetation to provide water quality and habitat benefits. Excavation
and grading of the inside bends of the stream channel to provide a more
naturalized channel cross-section, reducing erosion pressure on the outside
streambanks. The finished floodplain terrace will be revegetated with native
wetland vegetation for habitat and water quality benefits and to reduce soil
erosion and runoff. Approximately 0.5 acre of enhanced wetland habitat will
be created where currently soils are exposed to erosional forces.

            

Cedar Creek Bank Stabilization Project – Indiana

$29,293

DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation Project, Auburn, IN

Contact: Allen Haynes ahaynes at co.dekalb.in.us

The two eroding banks will be stabilized using log revetment backfilled with
root wads, brush, and clean off-site clay material then stabilized using the
live fascine system, shrubs, and coconut erosion control blanket over seeded
areas. The existing filter strip on the east side will also be restored and
maintained.

 

Shiawassee River Streambank Stabilization and Inventory Project – Michigan 

$22,670

Saginaw Conservation District, Saginaw, MI

Contact: Patricia Copes, patti.copes at mi.nacdnet.net

Two eroding sites on the Shiawassee River will be restored utilizing soft
engineering practices, such as tree revetments and other low cost vegetative
practices, which are proven to be economical, effective and provide
excellent habitat for aquatic life such as minnows. It is estimated that
these two sites combined introduce approximately 213 tons of soil into the
Shiawassee River annually.

 

Partnership for Sediment Reduction from Roads – Michigan 

$17,700

Van Buren County Road Commission, Lawrence, MI 

Contact: Lawrence Hummel vbcrchummel at comcast.net

Develop a partnership to jointly implement a demonstration site displaying
best practices in correcting a severely eroding road/stream crossing which
will reduce erosion and sedimentation by 123 tons per year at 30th Avenue in
Covert Township by May 2011.Lawrence, MI 49064 

 

Little Brule/Gauthier Creek Sediment Reduction Project – Minnesota 

$30,000

Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District, Grand Marais, MN

Contact: Tristan Beaster, tristan.beaster at co.cook.mn.us

Water bar diversions and road crowning will be installed at key locations.
Additional practices will be the installation of properly sized culverts,
road ditch stabilization mulching, and dormant seeding. The erosion control
practices will form a total water management plan for the road stem that
safely conveys runoff past the road system and into natural stable drainage
ways that outlet into the receiving streams. The spring spawning and early
summer egg incubation period of rainbow trout in the Little Brule and
Gauthier Creek will be free of impact by this upstream work.

 

Erosion and Sediment Control Program – New York

$26,046

Lewis County Soil & Water Conservation District, Lowville, NY

Contact: Michael Durant, mdurant at lewiscountyny.org

A new bale mulcher will be purchased by the Lewis County SWCD to assist
local municipalities with mined land reclamation, roadside bank
stabilization, grassed waterway establishment, and recreational trails
stabilization. The SWCD will make the bale mulcher available to all public
entities with proper training. Match will be required by municipal entities
to purchase straw bale material to cover each individual project site.

 

Reducing Agricultural Soil Loss in the Oneida Lake Watershed – New York

$30,000

Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District Hamilton, NY

Contact: Steve Lorraine, steve-lorraine at verizon.net

Implement a cover crops program on 500 acres of farmland in the watershed
for two consecutive growing seasons. A no-till drill will be loaned to
participating farms in order to plant cover crops in the fall after the row
crops have been harvested. This practice will be in conjunction with a zone
tillage program already in existence. 

 

Controlling Soil Erosion in the Auglaize River Watershed, Paulding County –
Ohio 

$29,815

Ohio State University Extension, Paulding County, Paulding, OH 

Contact: James Lopshire, lopshire.1 at osu.edu

Cover crops of oilseed radish (OR) and small grains like oats or wheat (SG)
will be planted on 200 acres of farmland. Each farmer will plant 40 acres of
OR, SG, and OR/SG with a demonstration plot 3 to 5 acres in size.
Educational field days will be conducted at the sites.

 

Genesee River Troyer Erosion and Sediment Control Project – Pennsylvania 

$29,500

Potter County Conservation District, Coudersport, PA

Contact: Jack Fleckenstein, j.fleckenstein at pottercd.com

On a sharp bend in the East Branch of the Genesee River years of debris have
choked and rerouted the stream to a course which is causing severe erosion
and sedimentation to the stream. A mud sill and multi log deflectors will be
installed to redirect flows. These types of structures are more cost
efficient than previous designs to fix erosion sites and are approved by the
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

 

Big Spring Creek Stream Erosion and Sediment Control – Wisconsin  

$30,000

Adams County Land and Water Conservation Department, Friendship, WI

Contact: Chris Murphy, cmurphy at co.adams.wi.us

The problem in Big Spring Creek is the streambanks are eroding due to steep
slopes and lack of perennial vegetation thus delivering sediment downstream
destroying native brook trout habitat. A 30 feet wide floodplain on both
sides of the stream will be developed. Also rock, logs and lunker structures
on sites prone to erosion during high and normal flows will be installed for
the purpose of protecting the streambanks from significant erosion and to
create habitat for brook trout. Stream banks and flood plain will be planted
with native vegetation to prevent surface soil erosion and create wildlife
habitat.

 

 

 

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The Great Lakes Commission, chaired by Gov. Patrick Quinn (Ill.), is an
interstate compact agency established under state and U.S. federal law and
dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy environment and high
quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region and its residents.
The Commission consists of governors' appointees, state legislators, and
agency officials from its eight member states. Associate membership for
Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a "Declaration of
Partnership." The Commission maintains a formal Observer program involving
U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities, binational agencies
and other regional interests. The Commission offices are located in Ann
Arbor, Michigan.

 

The West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission (WMSRDC) is a
federal and state designated regional planning and development agency
serving 127 local governments in Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, and
northern Ottawa Counties. WMSRDC is also responsible for the management and
administration of the homeland security program for the counties of Clare,
Ionia, Isabella, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo,
Oceana, Osceola, and Ottawa. 

 

 

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