May 16, 2006

Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester today announced that a total of $444,277 in Water Quality Monitoring grants has been awarded to 17 applicants to assist local governments, universities, and nonprofit organizations to monitor the quality of Michigan’s waters.

"These grants demonstrate our continued effort to partner with local communities to protect our vast water resources,” said Director Chester. “By working together, we can ensure that our lakes and streams are protected for generations to come.”

A number of recipients will be using the funding to monitor for E. coli during the beach season, including:

• Barry-Eaton District Health Department - $5,699 to monitor 3 beaches
  in state parks and 6 local beaches;

• Macomb County Health Department - $7,933 to monitor 2 local beaches;

• Northwest Michigan Community Health Agency - $6,938 to monitor 3
  state park beaches and 14 local beaches;

• Ottawa County Health Department - $12,112 to monitor 1 beach in a
  state park and 7 local beaches;

• Wayne County Health Department - $15,308 to monitor 8 local
  beaches;

• Wexford County Drain Commissioner - $2,809 to monitor 1 beach in a
  state park and 4 local beaches;

• Chippewa County Health Department - $12,415 to monitor 4 local
  beaches and 1 beach in a national park;

• District Health Department No. 2 - $30,342 for Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda,
  and Ogemaw Counties to monitor 3 state park beaches, 1 Department
  of Natural Resources access site, 5 national park beaches, and 7
  local beaches;

• District Health Department No. 4 - $13,020 for Alpena, Cheboygan,
  and Presque Isle Counties to monitor 3 beaches in state parks and 1
  local beach;

• Genesee County Health Department - $11,000 to monitor 6 local
  beaches.

The following projects also received funding today:

• The Alliance of Rouge Communities/Wayne County Department of
  Environment - $50,000 for a bacterial source tracking study to help
  identify the sources of E. coli contamination and prioritize pollution
  control activities in the Rouge River watershed;

• Grand Valley State University - $34,875 to conduct benthic invertebrate
  monitoring in the Muskegon Lake Area of Concern, and $68,143 in
  grant funds to assess polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in fish
  in the Kalamazoo River, Muskegon Lake, White Lake, Pentwater Lake,
  Saginaw Bay, and Lake Huron near Les Cheneaux Islands;

• Michigan State University - $59,994 to analyze existing mussel
  community data and assess water quality and potential threats to
  biodiversity in rivers and coastal ecosystems in the Lower Peninsula of
  Michigan, and $73,116 to develop and demonstrate a method for the
  rapid detection of E. coli in surface water;

• Macomb County Health Department - $25,000 to monitor PBDE levels
  in water and sediment at 20 nearshore locations in Lake St. Clair;

• The city of Gladstone - $15,573 to collect water samples in Little Bay
  de Noc and 5 tributaries to analyze for Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

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

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 16, 2006 by Pat Watson