LANSING, Mich. (WJMN) – The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has announced the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) is accepting 2022 funding proposals for two grant programs promoting water cleanup within the state.

Volunteer Stream Cleanup Program

The Volunteer Stream Cleanup Program supports local units of government in cleaning debris from rivers, streams, and creeks within the state. Applications can be submitted for grants ranging from $500 to $5,000, with a total of $25,000 available for EGLE to distribute.

“They do have to be applied for by a unit of government. So that would be a town or a municipality, but also like a university or a community college or a conservation district like a local unit of government at the county level,” said Tamara Lipsey, an aquatic biologist for EGLE. “Those would all be possibilities, so if someone was interested in organizing a cleanup they could go to their unit of government and see if they’d want to partner up, because usually units of government are willing to do that if they have a volunteer who is willing to organize it.”

You can find full details on proposals for Volunteer Stream Cleanup Program here.

Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program

The Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program features three types of grants to support local units of government and nonprofit organizations in volunteer benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring and habitat assessment in wadeable streams and rivers.

  1. Startup Grants – Startup Grants are intended for organizations seeking to learn the MiCorps monitoring protocols with the intention of applying for Implementation Grants in future grant cycles. Applications can be submitted for up to $5,000 in grant funding for one-year projects. You can find full details on proposals for Startup Grants here.
  2. Implementation Grants – Implementation Grants are used to support volunteer training and macroinvertebrate data collection to assess water quality and help state and local efforts to protect and manage water resources. MiCorps says grants can be used to fund a monitoring coordinator and/or buy water quality monitoring supplies. Applications can be submitted for up to $20,000 in grant funding for two-year projects. You can find full details on proposals for Implementation Grants here.
  3. Maintenance Grants – Maintenance Grants support groups already monitoring with MiCoprs procedures. MiCorps says grants can be used to pay for staff time, equipment, and travel to MiCorps trainings and conferences. Applications can be submitted for up to $2,000 in grant funding. You can find full details on proposals for Maintenance Grants here.

A total of $75,000 is available for EGLE to distribute across all three programs.

“They get to literally get your feet wet and sample aquatic insects and crawfish and other macroinvertebrates,” Lipsey said. “And the reason we do that is they live there all year-round and they can actually tell us about water quality. So some types are more sensitive to pollution than other types, so by using a net anybody can help out collecting them, and then some people are trained to identify them later in more of an office or laboratory setting and can see what types they have. And they also look at the habitat that those insects live in, so people learn about what is good habitat and what is not great habitat.”

You can find full details on each grant application and submit your application here. Grant applications are due by 5 pm on March 7, and EGLE says late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Any questions about the application process can be directed to Dr. Paul Steen at 734-769-5123 or PSteen@HRWC.org or to Tamara Lipsey at 517-342-4372 or LipseyT@Michigan.gov.