The Maumee has the largest watershed in the Great Lakes Region, running from Fort Wayne, Indiana and draining into Lake Erie at Toledo. Joyce Foundation President Ellen Alberding says the primary pollution culprit is agricultural runoff, but runoff from suburbanization is becoming more pronounced - and all of it impacts the lake.
Ellen Alberding: Our $5 million isn't going to be enough to clean up the rivers once and for all, but what we hope to do is catalyze the interest of lots of people who are already thinking about this issue, to focus on what can be done and to demonstrate some solutions. And ultimately we hope this will lead to some federal and even some state funding.
The money will help with restoring wildlife habitats and wetlands.