COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The newly formed Marble-Coldwater Clean Water Partnership is actively raising a $50,000 local cash match required to compete for a critical environmental grant through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
Established in February, the nonprofit recently outlined its strategy to secure funding for a comprehensive $180,000 scientific watershed study aimed at curbing rising algae growth, mysterious foam, and declining water clarity across the lake chain.
Margie Franker is the president of the Marble-Coldwater Clen Water Partnership says the lake chain needs a scientific watershed plan
Franker says there have been signs for several years that the water quality on the lakes has been deteriorating
Demonstrating a local cash commitment of at least $50,000 is necessary to successfully tap into EGLE’s highly competitive $275,000 grant pool this fall, and the group has already banked $10,000 from early area donors to jumpstart the effort.
Developing an EGLE-approved Watershed Management Plan is a vital for the lakes, as completing this scientific blueprint is the necessary prerequisite to unlock larger federal funding under the Clean Water Act.
If awarded, the combined state grant and local match will allow the partnership to hire professional consultants, analyze water data, and design specific management practices targeting septic systems, stormwater fixes, and shoreline erosion.
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