MillerCoors and River Network, a national non-profit group focused on improving the health of rivers and watersheds, have joined together for the fourth year to award nearly $60,000 in grants to support non-profit organizations focused on water conservation, education and protection across the country.  

The finalist organization with the most votes will receive a $25,000 grant. The five remaining projects will also receive funds, with second place receiving a $20,000 grant, third place receiving a $10,000 grant, and the three remaining projects each receiving $2,000.

Our 2012 Winners

________________________________________________________________________

$25,000 Grant Recipient
Clinton River Watershed Council - Rochester Hills, MI
CRWC’s WAIT WAIT… Don’t Step There, Fish Here! will address intensive traffic at Yates Park that has contributed to streambank erosion and subsequent destruction of fish habitat and water quality impacts. Streambank restoration, public access development and an ongoing public awareness campaign will help protect one of the most popular fishing locations on the Clinton River.

$20,000 Grant Recipient
Friends of the Mississippi River - St. Paul, MN
FMR’s Urban Riverside Planting Project will improve natural area habitat and water quality at numerous sites throughout the Twin Cities. It will also increase environmental awareness, knowledge and interest in river and watershed stewardship among a diverse group of river neighborhood residents, especially the local Somali and Hmong communities.

$10,000 Grant Recipient
Ohio River Foundation - Cincinnati, OH
The Ohio River basin suffers from major sediment erosion. ORF will conduct a native re-vegetation restoration program along the Great Miami River in order to stabilize riverbanks, reduce soil erosion and flooding, improve fish and wildlife habitat, and protect local water quality.

$2,000 Grant Recipient
Friends of Marsh Creek - Oakley, CA
FMC will host more than a dozen service projects and education events to increase understanding and raise awareness about local water quality issues, while advancing stewardship activities within the Marsh Creek Watershed. These projects will also support California’s efforts to protect the San Joaquin Delta ecosystem.

$2,000 Grant Recipient
Lake Champlain International - Colchester, VT
LCI and community volunteers will educate residents of Burlington, Vermont on watershed friendly practices and provide the opportunity to certify their properties as BLUE® - Watershed Friendly. In addition, mini-grants will be available to install water pollution prevention features at homes, thereby helping greatly reduce urban water pollution runoff that flows into Lake Champlain.

$2,000 Grant Recipient
Friends of the Rappahannock - Fredericksburg, VA
FOR’s Rainscape Retrofits program will work with homeowners to construct residential rain gardens to reduce the impact of polluted stormwater runoff on local waterways. In addition, FOR will establish several demonstration projects and launch a low-impact development public education campaign.