Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program

Projects must be located within the United States portion of the Great Lakes basin. Projects seeking to improve conditions within an inland lake of the Great Lakes basin must demonstrate benefits to local communities in the basin, beyond lakefront property owners, in order to be considered. Projects with a discernable benefit to a Great Lake are likely to be preferred during scoring of proposals.

Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s eligibility requirements.

Only areas within the United States portion of the Great Lakes basin are eligible for funding. To be considered for funding, applicants must:

• Demonstrate sufficient experience in the successful administration of similarly sized projects, including sufficient staffing
• Be cognizant that, as a reimbursement-based grant program, GLSNRP grantees must assure that sufficient funds are available to pay for activities
• Provide sufficient context to demonstrate a strategic approach to sediment and nutrient load reduction as incorporated within a government endorsed watershed plan5 and complementing existing work in the area
• Benefit the water quality of the Great Lakes basin

Click on the next section to learn more about the matching requirements for this funding opportunity.

A twenty-five percent match will be required of each project , and although additional match greater than twenty-five percent is welcome, excess match does not affect scoring.

The following list provides some examples of acceptable match, but is not intended to be exhaustive:

• Technical and/or administrative assistance provided by the applicant, other entities, or persons not paid for with the grant or with federal funds.
• All or a portion of the applicant’s indirect costs not otherwise paid for with the grant or with federal funds.
• Use of local and state agency vehicles or equipment other than those of the applicant.
• Cost-share agreements from landowners.Unpaid members of local task forces, watershed councils, work groups, citizen groups, etc. are considered volunteers, and may be calculated at the prevailing national minimum wage (currently $7.25/hour) unless justification is provided for a higher rate. Skilled labor may be charged at a higher rate with additional, detailed justification.

Click on the next section to learn more about the eligible costs for this funding opportunity.

Under this year’s program, GLSNRP will fund two types of projects aimed at reducing nonpoint source loading of nutrients and sediment to the Great Lakes: Agricultural Projects, and Streambank/Shoreline Projects.

• An Agricultural Project focuses on reducing nutrient loads from agricultural lands through systems of conservation practices that avoid, control, or trap nutrients and sediment.
• A Streambank/Shoreline project focuses on reducing nutrient and sediment loading from Great Lakes tributaries through implementation of climate resilient, natural techniques, such as floodplain reconnection, to prevent runoff and erosion.

Click on the next section to learn more about this funding opportunity’s project timeline.

All work must be completed within a four-year period, inclusive of the time required to obtain all permits and approvals.

Click on the next section for this funding opportunity’s application deadline and forms.

Applications are due on April 29, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Instructions, templates, and the web application form are available here.

Click on the next section to access the Contact Information for this funding opportunity.

Nichola Zacharda, Program Manager
(734) 396-6084

Connor Roessler, Program Specialist
(734) 396-6085