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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-13-2012 City of South Bend Engineering Department Receives $56,000 Grant for Bowan Creek Improvement Fund SpU TH 8F � G z s 1865 CITY OF SOUTH BEND PETE BUTTIGIEG, MAYOR OFFICE OF THE MAYOR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 13,2012 Contact: Debra Johnson, Director of Communications Phone: 574-235-5853 CITY OF SOUTH BEND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT RECEIVES $56,000 GRANT FOR BOWMAN CREEK IMPROVEMENT STUDY SOUTH BEND The City of South Bend Engineering Department has received a $56,000 grant from the Lake and River Enhancement(LARE)program. Grant funds will be used to perform an engineering feasibility study on Bowman Creek, a stream in the St. Joseph River watershed in South Bend. The study will focus on creek enhancements and improvements at the outfall to the St. Joseph River. "These are competitive grants and it speaks positively of South Bend's proposal that we were accepted for Lake and River Enhancement LARE Program funds of over$50,000 from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources,"Mayor Pete Buttigieg said. The grant will focus on direct improvements for water quality and aquatic habitat improvements for Bowman Creek. Recent fish studies of the St. Joseph River have shown a thriving aquatic population of diverse fish species. A recent sampling of Bowman Creek, a tributary of the river, shows that with some watershed improvements the creek will support aquatic life. The grant will cover up to 80 percent of the project application with the remaining 20 percent of the cost to be paid by the City of South Bend. The Engineering Department has two years to complete the project and submit its findings to the LARE program. "The plan with the grant is to implement more projects directly related to improving the creek as a habitat for fish,"Assistant City Engineer Patrick Henthorn said. "In doing so we will transform the creek into the community and natural resource asset it should rightfally be. We have great plans to help revitalize the area around Riley High School and the Bowman Creek watershed." Students and faculty from Riley High School along with Notre Dame, Indiana University of South Bend, Friends of the St. Joseph River, and national green solutions experts from Cardno/JFNew helped package the grant application. 1400 COUNTY-CITY BUILDING•227 W.IEFFERSON BOULEVARD•SOUTH BEND,INDIANA 46601 PHONE 574/235-9261• FAx 574/235-9892 SpU TH 8F � G z s 1865 CITY OF SOUTH BEND PETE BUTTIGIEG, MAYOR OFFICE OF THE MAYOR 1400 COUNTY-CITY BUILDING•227 W.JEFFERSON BOULEVARD•SOUTH BEND,INDIANA 46601 PHONE 574/235-9261• FAx 574/235-9892