The goal of the Division of Fish & Wildlife's Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) Program is to protect and enhance aquatic habitat for fish and wildlife, and to insure the continued viability of Indiana's publicly accessible lakes and streams for multiple uses, including recreational opportunities. This is accomplished through measures that reduce non-point sediment and nutrient pollution of surface waters to a level that meets or surpasses state water quality standards.
To accomplish this goal, the LARE Program provides technical and financial assistance for qualifying projects. Approved grant funding may be used for one or more of the following purposes:
- Investigations to determine what problems are affecting a lake/lakes or a stream segment.
- Evaluation of identified problems and effective action recommendations to resolve those problems.
- Cost-sharing with land users in a watershed above upstream from a project lake or stream for installation or application of sediment and nutrient reducing practices on their land.
- Matching federal funds for qualifying projects.
- Feasibility studies to define appropriate lake and stream remediation measures.
- Engineering designs and construction of remedial measures.
- Water quality monitoring of public lakes.
- Management of invasive aquatic vegetation
- Sediment removal from qualifying lakes.
- Logjam removal from qualifying rivers.
Message from the Division of Fish & Wildlife:
The LARE program strives to operate as a scientifically-effective program in a cost-efficient manner to protect and enhance aquatic habitat for fish and wildlife; and to insure the continued viability of Indiana's publicly accessible lakes and streams for multiple uses, including recreational opportunities. This is accomplished through grants for projects that reduce non-point sediment and nutrient pollution of surface waters to a level that meets or surpasses state water quality standards. LARE grant funds are intended for those projects demonstrating not only a need, but a local commitment to getting the task accomplished in a timely manner at a reasonable cost.