Lake Erie license plates help fund research projects along Lake Erie Coast

TOLEDO, Ohio - The Ohio Lake Erie Commission awarded four small grants for regional projects benefiting Lake Erie Wednesday.

Funding for these grants comes from the sale of the Lake Erie license plates offered in Ohio. These plates feature an images of the Marblehead Lighthouse and the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse.

Here is the listing of the projects receiving funds:

1. Sandusky Lions Park: The city of Sandusky was awarded $15,000 for shoreline restoration, removing concrete debris and re-shaping the upper park to the water's edge. The project aims to improve public access, including adding an ADA accessible walk.
2. The Cleveland Botanical Gardens lawn maintenance: $15,000 was awarded to establish low maintenance lawns on vacant urban land. Funds will be used to establish run-off plots in the test area to measure quality and quantity of water run-off from stabilized lots in various conditions. Projects like this in PA have increased neighboring property values.
3. Middle Bass East Point Preserve watersnake habitat restoration: The Lake Erie Islands Chapter of the Black Swamp Conservancy was awarded $13,875 for habitat restoration. The site is home to the Lake Erie watersnake and the project supports the Lake Erie Watersnake Recovery Plan. Funding will be used to assist in site restoration including the demolition and debris removal of dilapidated residential buildings, providing reuse of this site for Lake Erie watershed habitat and native vegetation.
4. The National Center for Water Quality Research at Heidelberg College: $14,995 was awarded to assist in research to more accurately model dissolved reactive phosphorus in streams. The project will utilize National Center data collected on Rock Creek, Honey Creek, and the Sandusky and Maumee rivers.

According to a news release from the organization, the Lake Erie Protection Fund was established to help finance research and implementation of projects aimed at protecting and preserving Lake Erie and its watershed.

During the past 16 years, contributions to the fund total more than $9 million , which has supported more than 300 projects.

Background information about OLEC from the news release:
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission was established for the purpose of preserving Lake Erie's natural resources, protecting the quality of its waters and ecosystem and promoting economic development in the region. The director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources serves as the commission's chairman. Additional members include the directors of the state departments of Transportation, Health, Development, Agriculture and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.