LANSING, MI (AP)-- Officials have awarded nearly $25,000 in grants to 13 local governments and agencies across Michigan to support cleanups of rivers, streams and creeks.
The grants range from $500 to $5,000 each. They come from a fund generated by the sale of water quality protection license plates.
Grants are administered by the Great Lakes Commission, under a contract with the state Department of Environmental Quality. Officials say the awards support local stewardship and a sense of community while protecting Michigan's waters.
Local governments often team up with nonprofit organizations or other volunteer groups for the cleanups, which include removal of trash and assorted debris from streams and stream banks.
The largest grant was $3,766 to the Huron River Watershed Council. Other recipients are listed at: http://www.glc.org/projects/water-quality/streamclean .