Michigan Water Stewardship Program (MWSP)

Michigan Water Stewardship Program (MWSP) is sponsored by State of Michigan's Groundwater/Freshwater Fund. The MWSP is a grant-funded program that provides educational assistance to Michigan residents to identify and reduce contamination risks to water and other natural resources. It encourages individuals to take voluntary proactive steps to protect Michigan's water quality.

About Michigan Water Stewardship Program - MI Water Stewardship Michigan Water Stewardship Program The Michigan Water Stewardship Program (MWSP) is a grant funded program made possible by the state of Michigan’s Groundwater/Freshwater fund, which is supported by fees on pesticides and fertilizers.

MWSP is a partnership of organizations that provide educational assistance to Michigan’s residents to identify and reduce contamination risks to water and other natural resources. The program encourages individuals to take voluntary proactive steps to protect Michigan’s water quality.

MWSP – Local and Global Stewardship Through the Michigan Water Stewardship Program, thousands of Michigan residents have been reached on a variety of environmental stewardship topics. The MWSP website is utilized all over the world, including Asia, Australia, Europe, and Canada.

The educational interactions are designed to encourage the voluntary adoption of watershed best management practices and behaviors that will protect our water quality and natural resources. The MWSP website is maintained by Eaton Conservation District (ECD) staff member, Valerie Reisen. Valerie has been working as ECD’s Environmental Outreach Coordinator since September 2023.

She attended the University of Notre Dame, where she earned her B. S. in biological sciences, and earned her M.

S. in zoology at Michigan State University. Valerie worked as the Head Technician for Transfer Biology at Lansing Community College and as a research technician at Michigan State.

She is actively involved in her community, serving as the webmaster of the Lakewood Area Choral Society, a member of the Charlotte Area Recreation Cooperative, and the Vice President and choral director of GFWC-Charlotte. Valerie is leading a volunteer project to plant the Charlotte Forest Garden, a two-acre park with mixed plantings of native species and edible plants to support wildlife and provide free food for the community.

Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) is an innovative, proactive program that helps farms of all sizes and all commodities voluntarily prevent or minimize agricultural pollution risks.

Through MAEAP, agricultural producers can become verified in four systems that address different aspects of the farm: Farmstead , Cropping , Livestock , and the newly developed Forest, Wetlands, and Habitat system. Verification indicates a high level of commitment to agricultural stewardship and protecting the environment. Verifiers work with local MAEAP technicians to walk farmers through the verification process.

In 2023, farmers implemented 2,744 conservation practices and greatly reduced the amount of sediment, phosphorus, and nitrogen reaching Michigan’s waterways ( MAEAP FY2023 report ). The Conservation Technical Assistance Initiative (CTAI) provides conservation and engineering assistance to landowners, allowing them to receive federal cost-share dollars for implementation of engineered conservation practices.

These practices may include pest management, nutrient management, prescribed grazing, irrigation water management, and tree/shrub establishment. Abandoned wells pose a health risk by acting as a conduit for contaminated surface water to move directly down into drinking water aquifers. Environmental risk assessments and financial assistance from MWSP have resulted in the closure of more than 7,000 unused/unusable wells.

Unused and unwanted pesticides are properly disposed of through the MWSP sponsored Clean Sweep program. Since 1996, more than 3. 9 million pounds of chemicals have been removed from circulation and properly disposed of at collection sites.

Contact a Clean Sweep site near you for collection locations and schedules. Agricultural Spill Response The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) provides a 24-hour hotline ( 800-405-0101 ) for assistance with agricultural pollution emergencies . Quick, effective response greatly reduces environmental risks.

MWSP staff coordinate any follow-up requirements with the the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment and other regulatory agencies. Groundwater Quality Monitoring This water testing is designed to evaluate pesticide and nitrogen fertilizer contamination in Michigan’s groundwater. Over 20,000 water well samples have been screened for nitrates, nitrites and triazines at no charge to the well owners.

Agrichemical Container Recycling The container recycling program minimizes the loss of pesticides to groundwater by promoting proper pesticide container rinsing procedures. Properly rinsed containers are recycled through a partnership with agricultural businesses across the state. We’re all connected by water.