Great Lakes Energy People Fund Grant Awarded to
Hayes Township Park Camp Sea-Gull
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Charlevoix County’s Hayes Township was awarded a grant from the Directors of the Great Lakes Energy People Fund for $10,000. The grant money will be used to construct rain gardens at Hayes Township Park Camp Sea-Gull on the north shore of Lake Charlevoix. The purpose of the rain gardens is to protect the water quality of Lake Charlevoix.
The Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council defines a rain garden as a “planted depression that receives and absorbs rain and snowmelt runoff, also known as stormwater, from impervious surfaces like roofs, driveways, walkways, parking lots, and compacted lawn areas. Rain gardens help filter out pollutants such as lawn fertilizers and pesticides, oil and other fluids from cars and machinery, and debris and litter. Rain gardens are a very effective and low cost way to protect water quality.”
The extensive rain gardens will catch and retain stormwater from the access road, boat launch, fishing pier access pathway and parking lot thus preventing stormwater from reaching Lake Charlevoix. The rain gardens were specifically designed by Site Planning Development, Inc. to catch, retain and filter the stormwater. After being filtered through the soil and plants in the rain gardens, the water will percolate into the groundwater.
The People Fund is a program of Great Lakes Energy in which customers “round up” their electric bills to the nearest dollar. The People Fund monies are then awarded to non-profit organizations and charitable activities for community projects in the Great Lakes Energy service area. Hayes Township residents, many of whom receive their electricity from Great Lakes Energy, are encouraged to sign up to participate in the People Fund program.
