Local projects received $147,339 in Alaska Clean Water Actions grants

The ACWA partnership between the Departments of Environmental Conservation, Fish and Game, and Natural Resources awarded 15 grants to groups statewide to assist in clean water objectives. The grants focus efforts on waters that are in greatest need of protection and restoration.

Grant funds come from a combination of federal water quality grants, beach environmental assessment grants and coastal health grants.

• Clean Boating on Big Lake — Cook Inletkeeper received a $15,585 grant to continue the effort to reduce petroleum hydrocarbon pollution in Big Lake.

• Mat-Su Stormwater Assessment — Aquatic Restoration and Resources received a $79,825 grant to continue collecting data on Wasilla Creek, Cottonwood Creek and Little Meadow Creek to assess the effects of urbanization on water quality and fish habitat.

• Cook Inlet Stream Temperature Monitoring Network — Cook Inletkeeper received a $44,929 grant to complete a five-year project monitoring the temperatures in a network of 44 Cook Inlet streams. The Cook Inlet Stream Temperature Monitoring Network will allow fisheries managers and land-use planners to identify watershed characteristics with the greatest potential to buffer salmon habitats from high air and water temperatures.

• Little Susitna River Conservation — Palmer Soil and Water Conservation District received a $7,000 grant to continue to build on the Department of Environmental Conservation’s current campaign, “Fuel Out – Fish On!”

For more information, visit dec.state.ak.us/water/acwa/acwa_index.htm.