$3.2 million recommended for Great Lakes habitat restoration

Visitors paddle through a portion of Howard Marsh, the site of a NOAA-supported habitat restoration project in Ohio © Metroparks Toledo

NOAA Fisheries is recommending $3.2 million in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding to continue ongoing work restoring important habitat for fisheries in the Great Lakes.

Through this funding, partners will implement projects that support fisheries, habitats, and communities in Great Lakes ecosystems.

We're recommending funding to continue the work of two ongoing and two new cooperative agreements:

• Ducks Unlimited will develop plans to restore wetland habitat at Camp Sabroske in Ohio, contributing toward restoring the Maumee Area of Concern. ($374,687)
• The Great Lakes Fishery Commission and partners will work with NOAA to carry out projects identified as environmental priorities for the Lake Committees throughout the Great Lakes. ($2,433,618)
• The Great Lakes Commission will develop outreach materials for an ongoing restoration project at Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park in the Niagara River Area of Concern in Buffalo, New York. ($14,503)
• Genesee County, Michigan, will remove the Hamilton Dam on the Flint River, opening nearly 25 miles to fish passage. ($415,752)

Funding will help sustain the many benefits the Great Lakes provide to the environment and communities by:

• Supporting valuable fisheries and coastal resources
• Improving the quality of our water by restoring coastal wetlands
• Providing recreational opportunities for the public's use and enjoyment
• Increasing the resilience of Great Lakes communities

An angler fishes on the Salmon River in Oswego County, New York. Through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, NOAA is supporting habitat restoration on the river - photo © New York Department of Environmental Conservation

As the largest freshwater system on earth, the Great Lakes are one of the most important natural resources in the world. They support valuable commercial, recreational, and tribal fisheries that are collectively valued at $7 billion per year and support more than 75,000 jobs. They also support industry, transportation, and tourism.

The Office of Habitat Conservation's NOAA Restoration Center works in the Great Lakes to support the ecosystems and economies that rely on these valuable international resources. Since 2010, we have supported 96 projects through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. These projects have restored more than 4,900 acres of habitat for fish and wildlife and opened up more than 520 miles of rivers and streams to fish migration.