Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester today announced 14 local agencies were awarded a total of $187,424 in Water Quality Monitoring grants to assist with inland beach water quality monitoring for the 2009 and 2010 swimming seasons.

The recipients of the funding are:

• The Barry-Eaton District Health Department - $8,030 to monitor 2 local beaches and 2 state park beaches.
• The Central Michigan District Health Department - $22,424 to monitor 20 local beaches and 3 state park beaches in Arenac, Clare, Gladwin, Isabella, Osceola, and Roscommon Counties.
• The Chippewa County Health Department - $9,545 to monitor 2 local beaches and 1 state park beach.
• District Health Department No. 2 - $24,697 to monitor 10 local beaches, 2 state park beaches, and 1 Department of Natural Resources access site in Alcona, Iosco, Ogemaw, and Oscoda Counties.
• District Health Department No. 4 - $10,303 to monitor 2 local beaches and 5 state park beaches in Alpena, Cheboygan, and Presque Isle Counties.
• The Genesee County Health Department - $17,121 to monitor 16 local beaches.
• The Luce-Mackinac-Alger-Schoolcraft District Health Department - $12,576 to initiate an inland lake beach monitoring program to conduct sanitary surveys at 30 public beaches and monitor high-use beaches.
• The Macomb County Health Department - $6,515 to monitor 2 local beaches.
• The Muskegon County Health Department - $16,364 to monitor 13 local beaches and 2 state park beaches.
• The Health Department of Northwest Michigan - $19,394 to monitor 16 local beaches and 3 state park beaches in Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, and Otsego Counties.
• The Ottawa County Health Department - $11,061 to monitor 7 local beaches and 1 state park beach.
• The Wayne County Environmental Health Division - $10,303 to monitor 7 local beaches.
• The Western Upper Peninsula District Health Department - $9,545 to monitor 4 local beaches and 2 state park beaches in Gogebic, Houghton, and Ontonagon Counties.
• The Wexford County Drain Commissioner - $9,545 to monitor 4 local beaches and 1 state park beach.

Funding for these grants was made available through the Clean Michigan Initiative-Clean Water Fund.

The annual 2008 Beach Monitoring Report is available at http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3313_3686_3730---,00.html. Additional beach monitoring information is available by contacting Shannon Briggs, Surface Water Assessment Section, Water Bureau, at 517-335-1214 or by e mail at briggss4@michigan.gov.

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised May 28, 2009 by Pat Watson