The Department of Environmental Quality announced today that a total of $286,322 in six Water Quality Monitoring grants have been awarded to assist universities, local governments, and nonprofit organizations to monitor the quality of Michigan's waters.

The recipients of the funding announced today are:

- University of Michigan - $40,000 to quantify the incidence of
  zooplankton deformities in the Great Lakes and inland lakes, and to
  evaluate potential factors for the deformities.

- Michigan State University - Michigan Natural Features Inventory -
  $108,386 to identify wetland invasive plants that pose a threat to
  Michigan wetlands, conduct an inventory of priority wetlands in the
  Saginaw Bay watershed, and develop an early-detection monitoring
  protocol for these invasive plants.

- Chippewa County Health Department - $14,666 to conduct E. coli
  monitoring of the St. Mary's River to determine whether previous water
  quality problems are continuing, and if so, to identify potential sources
  of contamination.

- Huron River Watershed Council - $59,773 to collect phosphorus and
  other nutrient data in the Huron River and several tributaries.

- The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay - $34,500 to conduct a
  survey  of macrophyte plants in Grand Traverse Bay and investigate the
  relationship between zebra/quagga mussels and macrophyte beds.

- Grand Valley State University - Annis Water Resources Institute -
  $28,997 to determine if abandoned muck farms on Black Creek are a
  major source of phosphorus to Mona Lake.

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 27, 2008 by Pat Watson