Several Indiana counties will receive funds to improve their waterways thanks to $1,506,640 in grants awarded by DNR Director Daniel W. Bortner through the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program.

DNR grants totaling $908,700 will be used in sediment or logjam removal projects and will support 13 projects in 15 counties. The other $597,940 will be used to fight aquatic invasive plants, including 37 projects involving 57 bodies of water in 11 counties.

Funded projects include grants for both planning and removal of sediment. Removal projects help improve recreation and remove excessive nutrients near inlets. Projects to dredge lake inlets or boating access channels receive the highest priority for LARE funding.

Logjam projects include the removal of massive amounts of debris that block the stream channel. Because some woody debris in streams provides valuable habitat, removal projects focus only on large jams that block the entire stream and may cause bank erosion and cutting of new channels.

The sediment and logjam removal projects include Putnam County's Van Bibber Lake which received a $7500 grant.