New Grants for Lake Erie Watershed Projects

Ohio EPA is receiving an additional $4.38 million in federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grants to implement sediment and nutrient reduction projects in two major Lake Erie watersheds.

The five-year Maumee River Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Initiative has been awarded $3.69 million and brings together a diverse coalition of 10 public and private organizations and targets the Maumee River watershed with projects in Auglaize, Defiance, Hardin, Lucas, Mercer, Paulding and Putnam counties.

The second grant is for $689,000 for Phase 2 of the Lake Erie Nutrient Reduction Demonstration Project in Crawford County. This three-year project is focused on nutrient reduction in the Sandusky River watershed.

“These projects, in coordination with other projects being implemented through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ohio Department of Agriculture, continue the state’s objective of focusing dollars and conservation practices in targeted watersheds with known nutrient and sediment impairments,” said Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler.

U.S. EPA announced the latest grants yesterday. Ohio previously received $7.4 million in GLRI funding since August 2014.