President Barack Obama would maintain his support for the Great Lakes restoration if he is re-elected in November, a spokesperson said Thursday.

Water Resources Specialist at Clean Wisconsin, Ezra Meyer, said Obama pledged if elected in November, he would continue his funding of $300 million per year to the Great Lakes restoration.

Meyer said Clean Wisconsin appreciates Obama’s continued support of the Great Lakes. According to Meyer, Obama contributed $415 million in 2010 and $300 million in the years that followed.

Meyer said the funding of the Great Lakes restoration is very important in terms of cleaning up toxic spills and improving the water quality of the lakes.

But while Obama’s help is greatly appreciated, the president does not act alone, Meyer said. It’s going to take a long time and billions of dollars to address all of the issues plaguing the Great Lakes, he added.

Assistant professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Steven Loheide, also in support of the restoration of the Great Lakes, said they contain over 20 percent of the world’s fresh water.

Loheide said he has been collaborating on a project with several other professors and graduate students in order to improve stormwater treatment.  

“Restoring the Great Lakes is, and will continue to be, a major effort which involves a host of U.S. federal agencies and requires close cooperation between the U.S. and Canada,” Loheide said in an email to The Badger Herald. “Some of the urgent issues that are being addressed involve cleaning up toxic pollutants, combating invasive species, improving run-off quality to the lakes by protecting watersheds, restoring wetlands and other habitats and monitoring our progress.”

Tom Eggert, senior lecturer at the Wisconsin School of Business and director of the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council, said the Great Lakes restoration is important from an economic standpoint as well.

“Milwaukee has become the freshwater capitol of the world, partly because of the heightened interest in the importance of fresh water,” Eggert said in an email to The Badger Herald. “Great Lakes restoration funding recognizes how important fresh water is to the country and works to the benefit of companies that depend upon fresh water, such as Miller, Coors, AO Smith and Badger Meter.”

The campaign for presidential candidate Mitt Romney declined to comment on whether or not Romney would support Great Lakes restoration if elected.