DNR grants totaling $1,164,100 will be used to improve Indiana’s water bodies.

The grants were awarded by DNR director Cameron F. Clark through the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program in the Division of Fish & Wildlife.

The grants will fund projects on seven lakes and 15 rivers and streams in 23 counties. Projects will be completed within a two-year timeframe.

Local sponsors apply for LARE assistance and commit to sharing a portion of the total project cost. LARE project funds come from an annual boat owner registration fee collected by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

The majority of selected projects are designed to improve Indiana water quality by addressing sediment and nutrient inputs into lakes and streams. Reducing erosion in the watershed or along the banks of lakes and rivers is more economical than trying to correct water quality and habitat impairment as a result of continued erosion.

Many projects include habitat improvement components that benefit fish and wildlife populations. The most striking habitat improvements include wetland projects in LaPorte, Marshall, and Steuben counties, and low-head dam removals on Cedar Creek and the Salamonie River. Wetlands improve water quality, reduce flooding, and provide wildlife habitat. Dam removals reclaim riverbank habitat, improve fish passage, benefit fish and freshwater mussel populations, and make streams safer for recreational users.

“The LARE program continues to invest boater-generated revenue into conservation efforts to protect and enhance Indiana’s lakes and streams,” said Amanda Wuestefeld, Division of Fish & Wildlife director. “We also can’t forget the local sponsors who will also invest in these projects to make our waters healthier, which will benefit fish and wildlife species.”

See the complete list of projects by water body, county, project, and grant award at wildlife.IN.gov/files/fw-LARE_Watershed_Land_Treatment_Biological_and_Engineering_ Projects_Funding_FY-2019-20.pdf.

Learn more about LARE at wildlife.IN.gov/2364.htm.

To view all DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.

Media contacts:

Rod Edgell, Aquatic Biologist, DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife, 260-244-6805, redgell@dnr.IN.gov;
Doug Nusbaum, Restoration Biologist, DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife, 260-244-6805, dnusbaum@dnr.IN.gov