Great Lakes Note: OGL awards grants to study impacts of water restoration on communities

Michigan Office of the Great Lakes awards grants to study impacts of water restoration on community well-being

The Michigan Office of the Great Lakes awarded grants to two research teams from Michigan State University to conduct a study on the social impacts of water resource protection and restoration in Michigan communities.

The first team, led by Dr. Michelle Rutty and Dr. Sarah Nicholls, received $122,269 to identify the characteristics of a community that enable it to successfully plan and implement water restoration projects that create community benefits. They will study four communities that have completed water restoration projects to determine social impacts of the projects on community wellness and vibrancy.

The second team, led by Jeremiah Asher and Dr. Michael Thomas, received $100,000 to incorporate the data generated by the case study communities into an analytical model. Local and state leaders will be able to use the model to help assess community capacity and determine which investments will have the greatest impact on community vibrancy.

The study will enhance understanding of how the health of the Michigan’s waters relates to the wellbeing of its communities. Knowing the relationship between environmental health and quality of life will help communities leverage the social capacity they already have and allocate resources to most effectively grow in areas where they are weak.

The project will support a regional initiative called Blue Accounting. In 2013, the Great Lakes governors and the Canadian premier of Ontario called for holistic monitoring and evaluation of Great Lakes resources to measure the effectiveness of efforts to protect ecosystems, ensure human health, and enhance the economy. The Blue Accounting initiative is collecting data to help Great Lakes decisionmakers and other stakeholders effectively manage the Great Lakes.

“This data and community vibrancy tool will help planners position communities for environmental, economic, and social success in water resource restoration,” said Office of the Great Lakes Director Jon W. Allan.

Discover how the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes works to protect, restore, and sustain our Great Lakes waters at www.michigan.gov/deqogl. For more information about the project, contact Christina Pastoria at pastoriac@michigan.gov.

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