Ryan Announces Grants For Eight Lake Improvement Projects

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan today announced funding to begin or continue lake improvement projects for eight Illinois Clean Lakes projects.

The Clean Lakes Program is part of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's Conservation 2000 program which provides grants on a matching basis to design or implement programs to protect and restore lakes throughout Illinois.

Five of the grants will fund Phase I studies that identify problems and develop appropriate corrective actions. The three remaining grants are for Phase II projects that implement the plans that were developed in Phase I efforts.

Among the Phase II grants approved was a $126,290 grant to the Otter Lake Water Commission that will support implementation efforts to improve Otter lake, including cove restoration near the public boat launch, upgrading an existing destratifier, installing a new destratifier, and shoreline erosion control.

The city of Litchfield will receive $206,000 for shoreline erosion control at Lake Lou Yaeger. Also, $115,000 has been approved for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County for construction of a sediment retention basin at Herrick Lake in support of a locally funded dredging program.

The most recently approved package of grants provides a supplemental Phase I grant of $4,500 to the Morton Arboretum near Chicago to complete planning involving Lake Marmo, Meadow Lake and Sterling Pond. The initial Phase I grant was approved in FY '98.

The other Phase I projects include:

• $50,901 to the village of Orland Park to develop a protection and/or restoration plan for Lake Sedgewick;

• $51,750 to Consumers Illinois Water Company to develop a protection and/or restoration plan for Lake Vermilion;

• $50,622 to the city of Mattoon to develop a protection and/or restoration project for Lake Paradise, and

• $60,390 to the city of Mattoon to develop a protection and/or restoration plan for Lake Mattoon.