$1 million dollars in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding earmarked for West Michigan
Three of their Great Lakes Restoration Initiative proposals were among the 270 finalists. Collectively, the three projects equate to more than $1 million dollars in GLRI funding.
In a news release about the selections, EPA stated, “The GLRI grants will fund projects that address the most important Great Lakes priorities, including reducing toxic contaminants, restoring the Great Lakes Areas of Concern, protecting beaches and beachgoers, keeping out invasive species and reducing polluted land-based runoff.”
All finalists are to submit final applications to the EPA so that grants may be issued and work can begin this summer.
“The first one is about $550,000 to be put in an observatory into Muskegon Lake. It allows the collection of real-time data and relay it back to be put on the website. The measurement of water temperature, pH and the number of ions in the water. It will have a video camera associated with it and will give us a tremendous amount of information on what the conditions are in Muskegon Lake and will enhance the studies we are currently doing on the lake.”
The observatory would be powered by solar panels. The system will be operating from GVSU, and will have the capacity to network with NOAA laboratories.
Other marine systems are around the Atlantic and Gulf Coast, this will be the first for the Great Lakes.
