Grants announced for 26 lake, river projects

Indiana DNR Release:

New grants totaling more than $925,000 have been awarded for the care of Indiana's waterways this year through the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program, part of the DNR's Division of Fish and Wildlife.

“In a time when all spending is scrutinized for cost-effectiveness, these boater-funded LARE grants are an important way to address problems in public lakes and river watersheds across Indiana,” DNR director Robert E. Carter Jr. said. “The grants direct funds toward projects that protect and enhance the very resources used in aquatic recreational activities, including fishing and boating.”

The 26 projects were submitted by local sponsors who commit to sharing a portion of the total cost. DNR’s portion comes from the Lake Enhancement fee paid annually by boat owners to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. It is a variable fee based on the value of the boat when new.

“The LARE grants are crucial to local organizations enabling them to tackle natural resource concerns that can be impossible for them to address on their own,” said Gwen White, an aquatic biologist with LARE.

White said some projects can require years of planning and diligence to complete. The new grants feature biological and engineering projects, including diagnostic, design, and engineering feasibility studies, and construction projects.

Several watershed land-treatment projects received funding to assist landowners with water-quality concerns near locally important streams. These grants complement the $1.33 million in LARE grant awards Carter announced in March to address nuisance aquatic vegetation and dredging of sediment in publicly-accessible lakes.

“Our goal is to provide grant funds in projects that provide improved aquatic habitat in lakes and rivers,” White said. “As a side benefit these projects also promote a positive economic impact resulting from better access to improved water resources. In this way, LARE funds help improve the experiences for boating, fishing, swimming while enhancing and improving the aquatic environment for fish and other inhabitants of Indiana’s waters."