DNR grant program funds sediment removal at Morse Reservoir

Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Director Alan Morrison announced this week that organizations in 20 Indiana counties across the state will receive $1,116,940 in grants to fund 53 lake and stream projects through the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program.

Within Hamilton County, a sediment removal project at Morse Reservoir received $64,000.

In addition to the Morse Reservoir project, Dearborn, Fayette, Fulton, Johnson, Knox, Kosciusko, LaGrange, LaPorte, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Noble, Owen, Porter, Pulaski, Putnam, St. Joseph, Steuben, and Sullivan counties also received money.

Grants totaling $643,300 will support 11 sediment or logjam removal projects in 10 counties. Another $473,640 will be used to support 42 projects to combat aquatic invasive plants, involving 52 bodies of water in 13 counties.

The grants are funded through the LARE fee paid annually by boat owners when they register their crafts with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. This user-funded program benefits boaters all over the state by allowing for the completion of lake and stream projects that would be difficult for local organizations to fund on their own. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis, and local sponsors share at least 20 percent of the cost.

Funded projects for the planning and removal of sediment and logjams help improve recreational access by removing nutrient-rich sediment and woody debris near inlets or navigational channels, helping prevent bank erosion and the formation of new channels. These types of projects receive the highest priority for LARE funding, and they are only funded for projects focused on large-quantity debris removal. Aquatic invasive plant control grants help control or manage aggressive non-native species that can outcompete native species and dominate plant communities. The grants can also provide economic benefits to lake communities by improving lake conditions for those who fish or boat.

A list of grant recipients and sediment and logjam removal projects by body of water, county, project type, and grant award can be found at lare.dnr.IN.gov and clicking on project awards at the top of the page.

Reports on all past LARE-funded projects can be found at larereports.dnr.IN.gov.