October 4, 2004

Today, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester announced that the DEQ has awarded $6 million in grants to local projects to improve water quality throughout Michigan.

The projects include a $1M grant to the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy to implement innovative urban storm water best management practices within the Detroit East RiverWalk/Tri-Centennial State Park and Harbor Project; retrofitting a parking lot at Henry Ford Community College to provide storm water infiltration; purchasing permanent conservation easements in the Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed; and creating wetlands in the Upper Macatawa River Watershed.

“Protecting our water and revitalizing our cities is critical for Michigan’s economic future,” said Granholm. “These projects are a clear example that you can protect the environment and make community economic investments at the same time.”

The grants are being awarded through the Clean Michigan Initiative (CMI) Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Grant funding for 14 projects throughout Michigan.

“Many of these projects are collaborative partnerships between public and private entities highlighting the importance of protecting Michigan’s water quality,” said DEQ Director Chester. “Each of the projects funded are excellent examples of how innovative practices are being used to solve water quality problems.”

The Detroit East RiverWalk/Tri-Centennial State Park and Harbor Project will result in the implementation of numerous practices designed to work together to treat storm water within the 10-acre park. The practices will also be strategically integrated with the Detroit East RiverWalk/Tri-Centennial State Park and Harbor Project, and will be further embellished by an interpretive program being developed to increase the viewing, understanding, and enjoyment of this spectacular riverfront environment.

The Kingfisher Bluff Innovative Storm Water Demonstration at Henry Ford Community College will address existing storm water drainage from the parking lot that has caused severe erosion on the bank of the Rouge River just upstream from the Henry Ford museum and Greenfield Village. The storm water runoff carries sediment, oil, grease, and metals to the Rouge River. As part of this grant project, the parking lot will be redesigned to direct storm water into infiltration areas, reducing the volume of runoff from the site and improving the water quality of the runoff entering the Rouge River. In addition, part of the parking lot will be replaced with porous pavement and the streambank will be stabilized using vegetation and other bio-engineering techniques.

The DEQ received over 70 applications requesting almost $24 million for both federal Clean Water Act funding and state CMI Nonpoint Source Grant funding. In July 2004, the DEQ awarded over $4.5 million in federal Clean Water Act funding to 20 local units of government. Planning grants available under the federal Clean Water Act require 10 percent matching funds, while Clean Water Act Implementation Grants and CMI Nonpoint Source Grants require 25 percent matching funds.

Information on specific grants announced today are available through the following link: http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-exe-pr-cmi-npsgrantrec100404.pdf.

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

Revised October 4, 2004 by Pat Watson