Sustainable Watershed Funding Initiative
The MACC, in partnership with the Grand Valley Metropolitan Council (GVMC) and the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission (WMSRDC), received funding in 2015 to investigate sustainable funding options to restore and protect Lake Michigan water quality. The project included working with watershed groups within West Michigan to determine funding needs and complete a study of sustainable funding alternatives.
Project Goals
The project’s goal is to advance watershed protection and restoration across the state. The purpose is to establish sustainable funding opportunities beyond what is available through competitive grant programs. Doing so will ensure that existing water quality management plans do not become outdated and that implementation is timely, cost-effective, sustainable, and organizations overseeing this work are able to retain quality staff.
Study Phase
Project partners formed the West Michigan Watershed Collaborative (WMWC) during the first phase of the project to bring together watershed partners within the region to discuss priorities and funding needs. WMWC members provided information to compile a West Michigan Watershed Summary (see Documents below). The project engaged the services of Public Sector Consultants (PSC) during the first phase to conduct a study of funding mechanisms that could provide sustainable revenue for watershed management. PSC completed the study, “A New Approach to Fund Watershed Management: An Evaluation of Funding Mechanisms,” in October 2016 (see Documents below).
Strategy Phase
The MACC received additional funding in October 2016 to continue discussions and analysis of sustainable funding mechanisms. The project team retained the services of PSC to facilitate conversations with WMWC partners and other community leaders to discuss the feasibility of the funding options presented in the study. PSC analyzed and summarized these discussions, then outlined an implementation strategy in November 2017 (see Documents below).
Implementation Phase
Project partners are focusing on implementing the recommendations in the strategy. One action item was to estimate participation rates and develop revenue projections. The report suggested using a public opinion survey which was completed in the summer of 2019. The results were published in November 2019 (full report available under documents). The key findings were:
Michiganders care about water quality (84.5%)
Michiganders think we should invest in our water (81%)
One-third of property owners surveyed are willing to donate
The median donation amount was $50 ($25-$75 range with 90% certainty)
People are supportive of the initiative even if they would not donate personally
The project team is working to move forward with additional recommendations including reaching out to legislators and key stakeholders to refine the strategy and work toward developing legislation.
Documents
A New Approach to Fund Watershed Management: An Evaluation of Funding Mechanisms (October 2016)
West Michigan Sustainable Watershed Funding Strategy (November 2017)
A Sustainable Watershed Funding Strategy for Michigan: Public Opinion Poll (November 2019)
Results of Statewide Water Resource Leader Engagement (December 2020)
A Proposed Policy Framework (January 2023)