The federal government announced Tuesday a $2.6 million batch of grants to protect water quality at Great Lakes beaches in Wisconsin and Michigan.

It includes a $1 million grant to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh to work to reconfigure eight state beaches to reduce bacteria levels. The beaches on the list include Grant Park in South Milwaukee as well as swimming areas in Marinette, Algoma, Manitowoc and Kenosha.

"These Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants will improve water quality, allowing people to enjoy more days at Great Lakes beaches," Susan Hedman of the Environmental Protection Agency said in a news release. "The projects will make beaches safer, by eliminating harmful bacteria and other sources of contamination."

The funding comes from the Obama administration's ongoing Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a federal program to protect and restore the health of the world's largest freshwater system.

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Wisconsin, Michigan beaches get $2.6 million to protect water quality