Location
The Salt Creek Watershed is located in northwestern central Indiana, draining approximately 65.5 square miles in Porter County. Major streams included in the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report are Salt Creek, Squirrel Creek, Pepper Creek and Clark Ditch.
History
In 2004, the E. coli Salt Creek TMDL was approved and is available under the previous heading. Recently, IDEM began using the high resolution National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) created by the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS). The high-resolution streams allow for a more detailed view of the watershed. These high-resolution waters have always been present; however, they have not been visible in electronic maps until now. A reassessment of the Salt Creek watershed was completed to consider both medium and high resolution streams. Also in 2010, with the recent interest in coordinating TMDL and watershed management plan development, a pilot project was started to develop this TMDL for E. coli and Impaired Biotic Communities at the higher resolution and with the additional data specifically collected for this effort. This TMDL will address approximately 101 miles of stream in the Salt Creek watershed in Porter County.
Pollutants Addressed
In this TMDL the primary cause of impairment is Escherichia coli bacteria (E. coli) and nutrients and sediment that impact the biotic community. Pollution sources in the watershed include nonpoint sources from agriculture and pastures, land application of manure and urban and rural run-off, as well as point sources from straight pipe discharge, home sewage treatment system disposal and combined sewer overflow outlets.
TMDLs for the Salt Creek Watershed have been established for E. coli to address twelve impairments and for Impaired Biotic Community (IBC) to address sixteen impairments. Some of the recommended solutions to address the impairments include storm water controls, point source controls, and the further implementation of the Salt Creek Watershed Management Plan.
Timeline
A kickoff TMDL meeting was held on August 4, 2010 at the Porter County United Way Community, 951 Eastport Centre Dr., Valparaiso, at 6:00 PM.
A draft TMDL meeting was held on February 29, 2012 at the Porter County United Way Community, 951 Eastport Centre Dr., Valparaiso, at 6:00 PM.
The 30-day public comment period for the draft Salt Creek Watershed TMDL begins on February 29, 2012 and ends on March 29, 2012.