Summary
This 2014 Pigeon Creek Watershed Management Plan (WMP) provides a framework for addressing water quality issues while balancing the needs of the communities and stakeholders. The WMP is comprehensive and incorporates the 2009 thirty-three element WMP checklist defined by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). The Pigeon Creek WMP is also directly tied to the 2012 IDEM Pigeon River Total Maximum Daily Load Plan and is sufficient to transition directly to implementation.
For this WMP a detailed watershed assessment was completed, including an assessment of water quality data, local soils, hydrology, land-use, precipitation, geology, biology, and all other known and available information. A windshield survey of the watershed was conducted, meetings were held with a selection of participating landowners, and a land-based pollution load model was developed to estimate annual and storm event bacteria, nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment loads. The windshield survey and landowner consultations resulted in identifying of a series of site-specific projects. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was used to further refine and evaluate watershed treatment practices in order to define critical or priority subwatersheds.
Critical subwatersheds were identified using a data driven approach to address the goals of the plan. The result of the critical subwatershed analysis is a selection of priority subwatersheds based on available data and information and tailored to address specific goals. The plan was developed using specific watershed knowledge and the compilation of relevant data and information. The plan defines actionable implementation strategies, associated costs and the expected resulting watershed benefits.
Direct recommendations to address the goals of the watershed plan include a wide range of improvement measures that include sediment basins, stream control structures, filter strips, cover crops, tile inlet controls (blind inlets), two-stage ditches, pasture and livestock waste management, septic system inspections, and urban green infrastructure and stormwater management. Upon finalization of the plan, applications will be submitted to obtain grant funding for implementation of the individual improvement measures.