Environmental Grant Program

American Water Accepting Applications for Environmental Grant Program in Michigan

Michigan American Water is now accepting applications for the 2011 Environmental Grant Program. The company will award grants of up to $10,000 to support diverse types of environmental sustainability activities such as watershed cleanups, reforestation efforts, biodiversity projects, streamside buffer restoration projects and hazardous waste collection efforts.

At Michigan American Water, we are committed to protecting the environment in the communities we serve and are proud to support the efforts of local organizations who share our vision.

Established in 2005, our Environmental Grant Program offers funds for innovative, community-based environmental projects that improve, restore or protect the watersheds, surface water and/or groundwater supplies in our local communities. We are pleased to offer this assistance to our community partners, while leveraging local resources and capabilities to make a positive impact on the environment.

Deadline for entries is March 25, 2011

To qualify for Environmental Grant funding, a proposed project must be:

• Located within the Michigan American Water service area
• Completed between May 1, 2011 and November 30, 2011
• Be a new or innovative community initiative, or serve as significant expansion to an existing program.

For more information, please see our  2011 Program Brochure and  Grant Application Form.

For more information about the program, contact Joe Loughmiller at 317-885-2434 or joe.loughmiller@amwater.com.

Take a Look at our Past Winners!

• 2010 Environmental Grant Winners

• 2009 Environmental Grant Winners

2008 Environmental Grant Recipients

In 2008, six initiatives across the area received funding through the American Water Environmental Grant Program.

Trailnet, Inc. - The organization is located in St. Louis, Missouri and is a non-profit organization with a 20-year history of Promoting Active Living* as a way of life that encourages people to integrate physical activity into their daily routines. The project is Confluence Corridor Restoration, Maintenance and Management. This will help protect and restore watersheds in the St. Louis, Missouri region along the corridor. The habitat includes wetlands, prairie and bottomland forest along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Success will be tracked by calculating acreage of invasive species which are controlled and removed and amounts of native trees, shrubs and grasses restored and maintained through regular watering. Trailnet was awarded $8500.00.

Muncie Sanitary District (MSD) - The Muncie, IN Sanitary District was established by ordinance in 1964. Goals of the MSD include: constructing, reconstructing, maintaining, repairing and regulating the use of all connecting and intercepting sewers at the most economical cost available. MSD also wants to be responsible for the collection and removal of solid waste materials and to prevent pollution of the water courses within the MSD boundaries. Funds from the grant program will be used for the White River Cleanup Project. The program will be created and sustained indefinitely to benefit the health of the river and the surrounding community. MSD was awarded $6500.00.

River Action - This non-profit organization is dedicated to fostering the environmental, economic and cultural vitality of the Mississippi River and its riverfront in the Quad Cities Region. Located in Davenport, Iowa, grant money will help to develop the Quad City Watershed Plan which seeks to: improve water quality; improve physical and aesthetic characteristics in and around area streams, wetlands and rivers; provide education; and provide resources for funding assistance to implement the improvements set forth in the plan. River Action was awarded $5000.00.

Kosciusko County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) - This is a governmental subdivision of Indiana. It is responsible for carrying out practices and programs that promote the conservation of our soil, water, and related natural resources within the county. Funds from the grant will offer a hands-on field experience to high school students and allow them to develop an awareness and appreciation of water resources in the county and how to assess water quality. Students will also develop a sense of responsibility and stewardship as members of the community. Kosciusko County SWCD was awarded $3000.

TCRPC - Serving Woodford, Peoria and Tazewell Counties in Illinois, the TCRPC has been working actively with community members from various sub-watersheds throughout the tri-county area to develop plans unique to each community to address the issues of water quality and erosion. Funding from the grant will allow the TCRPC to increase public knowledge of the importance of watershed preservation and restoration of the Illinois River through a public education campaign. Goals are to increase visits to watershed educational websites and community knowledge of water related issues. The TCRPC was awarded $3000.00.

Sandusky River Watershed Coalition (SRWC) - Formed in 1997, the Sandusky River Watershed Coalition is a combination of individuals and organizations concerned with and/or affected by the protection and enhancement of the water resources in the Sandusky, Ohio watershed. Funds from the grant will be devoted to a project providing education to change people’s method of medication disposal from flushing to improved methods of disposal. It will also provide a minimum of four collections of medications for disposal by incineration. The project is called, “The Sandusky Watershed Minus Medication – The Safe Solution.” The SRWC was awarded $6100.00.

2007 Environmental Grant Recipients

In 2007, we supported 20 community projects across the nation through the Environmental Grant Program. Combined, the grants totaled more than $100,000.  The 2007 recipients are located throughout American Water's service area and include:

California
Dry Creek Conservancy Signage Project was awarded $7,505 for its project to place signs at 33 stream crossings along the Dry Creek Watershed, within the city of Roseville, in the hope of inspiring citizens to take a more active role in protecting creeks in wildlife habitat areas.

South Fork American River Cleanup will use its $5,000 in grant money to fund the collection of litter and hazardous waste from the banks, trails and waterways in the South Fork American River Watershed, along with education about the importance of watershed protection and the dangers of water pollution.

Iowa
The City of Davenport's Parks and Recreation Department received $4,000 for a Sustainable Green Gardens Project to build a public green roof and rain garden for community education about sustainable environmental practices.

Indiana
The City of Ogden Dunes' Environmental Advisory Board received a grant for $10,000 for restoration of the Long Lake Marsh Watershed, considered a "swale" wetland.

Shelby County Soil and Water Conservation District will use its $6,000 award to place monitoring devices in the Little Blue River as part of a watershed protection project to provide continuous monitoring of temperature, pH, specific conductivity and oxygen levels.

Kentucky
Friends of the Arboretum - Kentucky Children's Garden received $10,000 to develop an erosion demonstration area and water quality wetland features within the "Land Stewardship Circle" of the Kentucky Children's Garden at the arboretum, Kentucky's official botanical garden.

Friends of Wolf Run - Wolf Run Creek will use its $5,000 to work with community organizations in identifying and reducing sources of bacteria in Wolf Run Creek and coordinate community education about the group's efforts.

University of Kentucky/Central Bluegrass Watershed Summit received a grant of $3,225 for a facilitated watershed summit to connect successful watershed councils with individuals interested in establishing a local watershed monitoring group. The summit will also focus on the science, politics, logistics, finances and future issues of watershed management.

Missouri
The Open Space Council for the St. Louis Region was awarded $5,000 for the Operation Wild Lands project, which assists community-based volunteer stewards in proactively managing open public spaces to improve water quality, wildlife habitat and nature-related recreation.

Pennsylvania
Berks County Conservation District received a $10,000 grant that will be used toward creating a Stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) Interpretive Trail, which will showcase traditional and innovative stormwater BMPs and demonstrate successful infiltration, reduction of peak volume, quality of stormwater reduction and elimination of stormwater run-off.

Clean Up Our American Lands and Streams (COALS) Program was awarded $9,000 to address illegal dumping by funding several cleanups in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties this fall.

Hallstead Park/Bank Stabilization Project received a $2,240 for a stream bank stabilization project. The group planted native wildflowers and plants and mature trees and shrubs, along the bank and onto the property of Hallstead Park, which was damaged by erosion following the June 2006 flood.

South Park Township was awarded $375 to help supply tools for its Piney Fork Creek and Peters Creek biannual watershed cleanups of community creek beds and banks.

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy used its $10,000 grant to support the Riparian Restoration and Protection Initiative. The project involved constructing four miles of stream bank fencing and building four stabilized stream crossings in the Neshannock Creek and Big Run watersheds. Both projects are designed to improve drinking water by preventing livestock access to streams.

Tennessee
The Tennessee Aquarium was awarded $10,000 to support the Auditorium Education Programs. These programs include a 185-seat facility to educate young students on the world's many ecosystems, various aspects of conservation and protection of their drinking water source. All programs are aligned to local, state and federal science standards and serve as excellent tools to enrich their curriculum.

Virginia
Friends of Lower Appomattox River was awarded $2,500 to support the development of infrastructure and walking trails along the river and a regional education center in Prince George County.

Friends of the Occoquan received $5,000 to support its preservation and maintenance efforts along the Occoquan River and other Virginia watersheds.

Hopewell Foundation, Inc. was awarded $2,500 for a landscaping project that will reduce sediment and erosion at the historic Weston Manor property.

Prince William County Watershed Management Branch received $3,000 to fund plantings for a demonstration rain garden, as well as an accompanying educational brochure to describe its functions and benefits.

The City of Alexandria was awarded a $5,000 grant to assist with its annual Earth Day Celebration. The grant helped fund the annual event, which featured exhibitors and entertainment that focused on the importance of environmental citizenship.

West Virginia
Fayette County Education Fund received $8,500 for a pilot program designed for 126 fifth-grade students to address the gap in citizenry knowledge of their counties' water and wastewater resources and infrastructure.