Alaska conservation department awards over $300,000 in clean water grants this summer

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Fish and Game and Department of Natural Resources announced on Aug. 7 that they have awarded more than $300,000 in Alaska Clean Water Actions (ACWA) grants this summer.

ACWA grants are given to both at-risk waters and waters that are already polluted and impaired, and the funds come from federal grants and matched funds from the recipients.

"This grant program allows us to direct federal funds to important clean water projects throughout the State of Alaska," DEC Division of Water Director Michelle Hale said. "Many of the projects awarded augment work being done by other federal, state and local entities. For example, the Fairbanks Complete Street Construction project is taking advantage of the City of Fairbanks’s Complete Streets Cushman Street upgrade to implement green infrastructure applications.”

Grants awarded range from $50,000 to improve Anchorage’s waterbodies by improving awareness on pet waste disposal options and identifying best management practices for the watershed, to $5,256 for the Tanana Valley Watershed Association’s Project Green Map, which will identify areas in need of green stormwater infrastructure.