May 18, 2006

Ten organizations have been selected to receive Volunteer River, Stream, and Creek Cleanup grants totaling $30,342.80 by the Department of Environmental Quality.

Michigan’s Volunteer River, Stream, and Creek Cleanup Program provides small grants in the range of $500 to $5,000 to local units of government to assist in efforts to clean up rivers, streams, and creeks, and improve the health of Michigan’s waters.

Groups selected to receive funding in 2006 are:

• Presque Isle County “Ocqueoc River Cleanup Celebration” $1,844.40

• City of Detroit “Rouge Park River Cleanup” $4,828.50

• Houghton-Keweenaw Conservation District “Gratiot River Cleanup”
  $525.00

• Clinton County “Friends of the Maple River Kick-off Cleanup” $1,400.00

• Arenac Conservation District “Rifle River Cleanup” $3,000.00

• Hamburg Township “Huron River Clean-Up Day” $5,000.00

• Macomb County Public Works Office “Road-Stream Crossing Cleanup
  in the Clinton River East and Red Run Subwatersheds” $3,085.00

• St. Clair County Health Department “X-STREAM Makeover” $2,591.50

• Barry County “11th Thornapple River Clean Up” $3,555.00

• Genesee County Drain Commissioner’s Office “Flint River and Tributary
  Cleanup” $4,513.40

Volunteer stream cleanup activities include removing trash and other debris from the water or along the banks, and repositioning trees and other natural debris that block stream corridors to allow stream flow while maintaining the cover and habitat necessary for fish and other aquatic organisms.

Michigan’s VRSCCP began in 1998 and is funded through the sale of the state’s water quality protection license plates.

Information on the VRSCCP is available on the GLC Web page at http://www.glc.org/streamclean/.

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 18, 2006 by Pat Watson