FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will disperse more than $1.1 million to dozens of Indiana lakes and streams through the department's Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program. The grants will be used to combat invasive aquatic plants and support sedime nt or logjam removal projects. A total of 53 lakes and streams will receive funding through the LARE program, including several in northeast Indiana. Adams Lake (LaGrange) -- $1,500 for invasive aquatic plant management Atwood Lake (LaGrange) -- $18,600 for invasive aquatic plant management Barbee Lakes (Kosciusko) -- $14,000 for invasive aquatic plant management Big & Little Chapman Lakes (Kosciusko) -- $24,400 for invasive aquatic plant management Big Lake (Noble) -- $5,000 for invasive aquatic plant management Big Long Lake (LaGrange) -- $24,000 for invasive aquatic plant management Big Turkey Lake (LaGrange) -- $12,200 for invasive aquatic plant management Center Lake (Kosciusko) -- $13,800 for invasive aquatic plant management Crooked Lake (Steuben) -- $6,500 for invasive aquatic plant management; $35,000 for sediment removal Dewart Lake (Kosciusko) -- $28,800 for invasive aquatic plant management Hamilton Lake (Steuben) -- $18,700 for invasive aquatic plant management High Lake (Noble) -- $7,500 for a sediment removal plan Jimmerson Lake (Steuben) -- $1,360 for invasive aquatic plant management Jones Lake (Noble) -- $100,000 for sediment removal Lake George (Steuben) -- $6,500 for invasive aquatic plant management Lake Pleasant (Steuben) -- $14,300 for invasive aquatic plant management Little Turkey Lake (LaGrange) -- $5,000 for invasive aquatic plant management Pike Lake (Kosciusko) -- $5,000 for invasive aquatic plant management Pretty Lake (LaGrange) -- $6,500 for invasive aquatic plant management Snow Lake (Steuben) -- $1,500 for invasive aquatic plant management Stone & Brokesha Lakes (LaGrange) -- $14,200 for invasive aquatic plant management Tippecanoe, James and Oswego Lakes (Kosciusko) -- $24,500 for invasive aquatic plant management Waldron Lake (Noble) -- $5,000 for invasive aquatic plant management Wall Lake (LaGrange) -- $5,960 for invasive aquatic plant management Waubee Lake (Kosciusko) -- $4,000 for invasive aquatic plant management Wawasee & Syracuse Lakes (Kosciusko) -- $13,000 for invasive aquatic plant management Webster Lake (Kosciusko) -- $34,400 for invasive aquatic plant management West Otter Lake (Steuben) -- $6,500 for invasive aquatic plant management A DNR ID sheet highlighting some of the invasive aquatic plants found in Indiana along with a native species. (Photo provided by the Indiana DNR) According to the DNR, sediment and logjam removal projects receive the "highest priority" for LARE funding because the projects can help prevent bank erosion and the formation of new channels. Tackling invasive aquatic plants is also important because those species can outcompete native plants and become a hinderance to local ecosystems. The DNR has identified 30 types of invasive aquatic plants in Indiana. According to several 2024 management reports for northeast Indiana lakes receiving funding, three invasive species have posed a problem in recent years: curlyleaf pondweed, starry stonewart and Eurasian watermilfoil. The DNR spends roughly $1 million annually in order to chemically control Eurasian watermilfoil alone. Jeanine Pratt throws milfoil up a bank on shore as a milfoil harvester, rear, works in Pelots Bay in North Hero, Vt., Monday, July 14, 2003. Eurasian watermilfoil, a long, feathery plant, grows up from the bottom of lakes and ponds to form a dense, slimy mat on the water's surface. (AP Photo) "If left unmanaged, these plants impair the aesthetic and ecological quality of the lake and provide a significant hindrance to the lake's floral ecology and the recreational activities of the lake's users," part of a 2024 management plan report for Hamilton Lake read. Both types of projects can also benefit residents who use lakes to fish or boat by improving lake conditions. Hoosiers can help mitigate the spread of invasive aquatic species by cleaning boats and other water equipment after spending time on a body of water. Grants are funded through the LARE fee, which is continually collected from boat owners when they register watercrafts with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. ...read more read less