Published: May 26, 2016
In an ongoing effort to improve water quality in Clinton, Gratiot, and Montcalm counties, the Carson Foundation has donated $3,000 to the Clinton County Conservation District.
The funds will go toward the Maple River E. coli monitoring and DNA-source tracking project with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).
The funds will be used as part of the two-year project to collect water samples at 10 water quality monitoring stations established by MDEQ within the Upper Maple River Watershed. The water samples will be collected during various rainfall events. The project also includes scent-tracking canines to help determine contributing sources of E. coli contamination.
“The health implications of E. coli contamination of the Maple River impacts more than just the population of our watershed. We want to help in any way we can in order to reduce risk of exposure,” said Sparrow Carson Hospital President and CEO Matt Thompson.
The Maple River is one of six major tributaries that flow into the Grand River, which leads to Lake Michigan. The results of this project will be used to target future outreach activities.
For more information about the Carson Foundation, contact Shelly Weaver at 989.584.0979 or shelly.weaver@sparrow.org.