Water Trails Project awarded grant

St. Joseph County was awarded a $15,000 grant toward its water trails project.
Accepted during last Tuesday’s county commission meeting, the grant was issued through the Southwest Michigan Regional Prosperity Initiative.
Parks and Recreation director Jaymes MacDonald said the funds are to be used for improvements related to river-access points such as parking areas, grading of land leading to rivers, and installation of canoe and kayak rails to improve accessibility to waterways.
The grant requires a $20,000 match, which will be provided through services in kind, MacDonald said. He explained that parks and recreation will provide the labor necessary to make the improvements, and the labor will consequently count in lieu of a financial match.
MacDonald said he has identified six areas in the county where the work will likely be performed.
Grant-related work must be completed by Nov. 30, 2016.