Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network
Bay Area Community Foundation
- Program Environment
- Program Area Addressing the Freshwater Challenge
- Grant Amount $150,000
- Grant Period August 1, 2012–July 31, 2014
- Location Bay City, MI, United States
- Geographic Focus Michigan
About this grant
Saginaw Bay’s network of rivers, lakes, and streams form Michigan’s largest drainage system. These waterways collect water runoff from about 15 percent of the state’s total land area and channel it into Lake Huron. The ecosystem filters many sediments and toxins from water, but it cannot keep up with the heavy pollution load coming from such a large surface area. Habitat destruction and other threats also reduce the system’s ability to control floods, support wildlife, and provide additional economic and recreational resources. The Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network was launched in 1996 to improve waterway health while strengthening surrounding communities. The initiative is run by the Bay Area Community Foundation which seeks to encourage philanthropy in the Saginaw Bay area. Over the next two years, Mott support will allow the grantee to increase regranting for local projects that benefit the Saginaw Bay ecosystem and achieve social and economic goals.