The Huron-Clinton Metropark Authority received a new $500,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant Tuesday to reduce the impact of storm water runoff at Lake St. Clair Metropark.

This is the second consecutive year the Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a grant to help improve the water quality of Lake St. Clair.

“This important grant will continue a project begun last year to reduce, capture and redirect polluted storm water runoff away from the Black Creek and Lake St. Clair,” said Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak, in a release. “The Great Lakes are one of our nation’s crown jewels and it is federal support like this that is helping to ensure that always remains the case.”

The grant will be used to fund "passive biological treatment systems" to reduce storm water runoff from the traditional storm drain system for the 42-acre parking lot at the Metropark. Additionally, 1.2 acres of pavement will be removed and replaced with grass and native vegetation to capture runoff, according to a release from Levin.

A $1 million grant was awarded last year to Huron-Clinton Metropark Authority to remove 11.5 acres of pavement in the first phase of this project.