New grants for the care of Indiana’s water bodies this year totaling more than $890,000 have been awarded through the Lake and River Enhancement program, part of the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife.
Of the 23 projects awarded, two are in Kosciusko County.
Lake Wawasee-Dillon Creek was given $45,000 for construction.
Yellow Creek Lake was awarded $32,000 for engineering feasibility studies.
In all, $891,171 was given out.
The projects involve 15 counties and were submitted by local sponsors who commit to sharing a portion of the total cost. DNR’s portion comes from the Lake Enhancement fee paid annually by boat owners to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
The grants allow for the completion of projects that would have been difficult for local organizations to fund on their own.
“In a time when all spending is scrutinized for cost-effectiveness, these boater-funded LARE grants are an important way to address problems in public lakes and river watersheds across Indiana,” DNR Director Robert E. Carter Jr. said.
The new LARE grants involve biological and engineering projects, including design, diagnostic and engineering feasibility studies, and construction.
“When completed, these projects should improve aquatic habitat and recreational opportunities, and provide a positive impact to the local economy where they are implemented,” Mark Reiter, director of DNR Fish & Wildlife, said.
Several watershed land-treatment projects received funding to assist landowners with water-quality concerns near locally important streams. These grants are awarded to soil and water conservation districts that work with landowners to carry out practices that help keep nutrients and sediment out of lakes and streams.
Several sediment removal projects also were funded to assist with dredging projects at publicly accessible lakes. These projects are designed to help local sponsors remove accumulated sediment that interferes with recreation and public access.
“One of the program’s goals is to reduce sediment and nutrient pollution of surface waters through a variety of different projects that are locally driven,” LARE biologist Rod Edgell said.
