Michigan Volunteer River, Stream and Creek Cleanup Program

2011 Stream Cleanup Grants Awarded

Fifteen organizations have been selected to receive 2011 Volunteer River, Stream and Creek Cleanup grants totaling $34,148.11 to be awarded by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

Michigan's Volunteer River, Stream, and Creek Cleanup Program (VRSCCP) provides small grants in the range of $500 to $5,000 to local units of government to help implement cleanup of trash and debris within or along the banks of rivers, streams, and creeks to improve the waters in Michigan. Grant applications were received, reviewed and assessed by Great Lakes Commission and DEQ; award notices went out to grantees in June 2011.

Funding for the VRSCCP is provided by DEQ through fees collected from the sale of the State's Water Quality Protection license plates (Public Act 74 of 2000). The Great Lakes Commission administers the VRSCCP on behalf of the DEQ.

Groups selected to receive funding in 2011:

• South Branch Township - Au Sable River Annual River Cleanup, $2,692

  To clean up approximately 75 miles of the mainstream, south branch and north branch of the Au Sable River.

• City of Ann Arbor - Cleanup the Huron River, $3,419

To keep the Ann Arbor area section of the Huron River free of trash throughout the summer season while building knowledge and understanding of the river and its ecosystem among groups of volunteers who will become stewards of the river now and in the future.

• City of Battle Creek - 2011 Global Citizens River Conservation Day, $1,500

  To promote the protection of the water resources within the Kalamazoo River watershed, promote the beauty of the water resource, encourage continued stewardship of the resource, and participate in an international cleanup effort through the removal of trash and tires.

• City of Cedar Springs - Cedar Creek Cleanup, $1,222

To publicize, educate, and inform the watershed's citizens of the need to protect and maintain its natural resources through the removal of trash from Cedar Creek.

• Saginaw Conservation District - Cass River 3rd Annual Clean-Up, $2,450

To clean a 3-5 mile section of the river from the Dixie Highway to the Bridgeport Township Park.

• City of Charlotte - 7th Annual River Cleanup, $739.61

  To clean up and improve approximately 1.5 miles along Butternut Creek and Battle Creek River within the City of Charlotte and to educate the public about the importance of such efforts.

• Barry Conservation District - 16th Annual Thornapple River Cleanup, $1,680

To remove all safely accessible trash from 80 river miles while recruiting volunteers from at least five watershed communities.

• Chippewa/East Mackinac Conservation District - 1st Annual Munuscong River Cleanup Project, $2,846

To engage the Munuscong River Watershed Association, Pickford High School, and the Conservation District in the first annual Munuscong River Cleanup Project to clean the lower eight miles of the navigable river channel and six historic water trail sites.

• Tuscarora Township - 2011 Big Splash Clean Up, $1,345

To provide for the physical and biological enhancement of the Indian and Sturgeon Rivers through the clean-up of approximately two one-mile stretches of each river system, removing both trash and debris.

• City of Marshall - Marshall Area River Clean Up & Conservation Day, $1,760

To work together as a community to preserve, protect, and enhance Marshall's natural resources through in-river and river bank collection of trash at nine different area sites.

• St. Joe County Conservation District - St. Joe County River Cleanup 2011, $3,910

To implement the first year of a three-year plan to clean 150 miles along the Rocky, St. Joseph, Fawn, Prairie, and White Pigeon rivers, cleaning roughly 37.5 miles in 2011.

• Van Buren Conservation District - River Rescue in Black and Paw Paw River and Hickory Creek Watersheds, $4,098

To improve the water quality and vitality of local creeks, stream banks and the health and biodiversity of critical wildlife populations and habitats by removing anthropogenic sources of trash and debris from approximately nine different river branches.

• City of Grand Rapids Environmental Services Department - Mayors' Grand River Clean Up, $3,094

To remove waste from the Grand River, promote water quality, and increase the region's aesthetic appeal, making the Grand River and its tributaries a safer and cleaner place for West Michigan residents and an inviting place for visitors.

• Shiawassee County Health Department Environmental Health Division - 14th Annual Shiawassee River Cleanup, $1,935

To remove anthropogenic sources of trash and debris from the mainstem of the Shiawassee River from Byron to Oakley, targeting rural areas and road/stream crossings for tires and large debris items.

• Grand Traverse Conservation District - Boardman River Clean Sweep 2011, $1,457.50
  To conduct the 7th annual community-wide cleanup of the Boardman River in conjunction with the American Rivers' National River Cleanup 2011 and the National Cherry Festival.

View the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Press Release, dated June 9, 2011.

To inquire about specific volunteer opportunities, please visit our Calendar of Cleanup Events for contact information for each project.