The Fund for Lake Michigan has awarded more than $865,000 in grants to organizations in the Milwaukee area to help pay for projects that improve water quality, invest in green technologies and support environmental education.
The grants were awarded as part of a larger $1.25 million round of grants given out to 20 projects throughout the state. Some of the grants are matching grants and require additional investment from private or public sources.
Fund for Lake Michigan executive director Vicki Elkin said that because of the additional funding requirements attached to the grants, they could end up attracting an additional $5.36 million from local and federal government entities as well as private donors to pay for the projects.
“Our targeted investments pay dividends by reducing flooding, improving beach quality, boosting local economies and safeguarding Lake Michigan, a source of drinking water for millions,”Elkin said. “Whether working in rural areas or in the heart of our cities the fund helps Wisconsin in countless ways.”
The projects that received grants in the Milwaukee area include:
- An outdoor solar energy, storm water management and sustainable infrastructure exhibit to be built at the entrance of the Milwaukee Public Museum.
- A project to make Lake Michigan safer and cleaner for swimmers at Bradford and South Shore beaches.
- A plan to reduce flooding around the Boys & Girls Club located in Sherman Park.
- The removal of the Estabrook Dam on the Milwaukee River.
- Building green infrastructure at Innovation Park at Century City.
- A plan to build an ephemeral pond at the Urban Ecology Center at Riverside Park to create an urban habitat for frogs and salamanders.
- Multiple projects to restore and improve water quality in the Milwaukee, Menomonee and Root River watershed areas.
