Watersheds and Nonpoint Source Water Pollution

One of the biggest challenges Indiana’s rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands face does not come from the end of a pipe. It is pollution that can come from our construction sites, our parking lots, our farms, our roads, and even our own backyards. It is called nonpoint source pollution and it’s a big deal. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has created this website to help Hoosiers understand this complex issue, find out what programs are working to clean up our waters, and what each person can do to help. The goal of IDEM is to make measurable improvements in water quality by addressing nonpoint source pollution through education, planning, and implementation. This story map explains how the IDEM Watershed Planning and Restoration Section partners with local watershed groups to improve water quality throughout Indiana. Every Hoosier can play a role in reducing pollution and protecting Indiana’s watersheds. We cannot do it alone, but together, we can make a difference!

To guide you along the way, IDEM has gathered a collection of resources to help get you educated, connected and up to date on virtually every nonpoint source topic. From water quality data to grant funds, from volunteer resources to water quality studies, this site has the information you need.

If you are working with a locally-led watershed group and need help, check out the Watershed Toolkit, your one-click resource for everything you and your group will need to help improve water quality. It includes resources on funding; watershed assessment, planning, restoration , and education; and progress evaluation. Also provided are IDEM resources for interactive web tools under eServices, and the U.S. EPA’s ATTAINS and How’s My Waterway to help you learn more about the water quality in your watershed and neighborhood.

IDEM’s Nonpoint Source and Water Quality Planning Grants Programs, Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL), and the 303(d) List of Impaired Waters are all accessible from this website. We’ve also compiled a collection of useful documents, including watershed management plans, TMDL reports, the current Indiana Integrated Water Monitoring and Assessment Report, and Indiana Nonpoint Source Management Plan.

If you are planning on visiting the Indiana State Fairgrounds, stop by the Pathway to Water Quality [YouTube]. There you will learn more about best management practices to reduce nonpoint source pollution and improve water quality. There are a number of best management practices in action and learn how you can use them at your home or your business.