New grants for the care of Indiana's water bodies totaling $994,300 have been awarded through the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program in the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife. The grants help fund 23 projects in 18 counties. Local sponsors submit applications for LARE assistance and commit to sharing a portion of the total cost. DNR's share comes from a fee paid annually by boat owners when registering their boats with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The grants allow for the completion of projects that are difficult for smaller local organizations to fund. The projects include water quality monitoring, bank erosion control, and watershed land treatments to reduce the amount of sediment and nutrients entering water. Six grants for land treatment were awarded to Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs). These grants will complement SWCD efforts with local landowners.
