February 3, 2024 at Drury Plaza Hotel, Indianapolis

Theme – Waterways of Indiana

Representing the New Alsace Conservation Club – NACC were Dale Back and Casey Gilmore Rick Cockrum, IWF Board President opened the conference explaining the agenda for the day and began with the guest introduction.

Guest: Jordon Lubetkin, NWF lead person for the Ohio River Restoration & Protection Alliance – a 14 state drainage area into the Ohio River Basin spoke on improving the water quality and engaging people in the basin areas that drain into the Ohio River. This is the beginning and hope to finalize the two year planning process by June 2024. There are $0.00 funds allocated or available at this time and we will need Congressional support. And we’ll need to engage with the local communities to see which need the most help, along with state and local governments. He has met with ORSACO – organization since they have a long history of monitoring the water quality of the Ohio River. It is a large project and encompasses a large basin area and identify problem areas along the river and it’s basin to begin the plan of improving the water quality of the Ohio River.

Guest: Bob Barr, IUPUI Research Scientist spoke on “what is needed to maintain healthy streams.” Forest of trees once covered the entire state of Indiana and in a 70 year period, from 1840 – 1920, forest were converted to farmland. The loss of forest increased the speed of water entering our streams and rivers causing more erosion and sediment loss. This speed of water increasingly has caused many of our waterways to change course. So slowing the water through reconstruction of past wetlands along tributaries and rivers with private landowners is one way to be used. And it should be noted that our state representatives are looking at creating a “Classified Wetland ” option for landowners, similar to the “Classified Forest” option in place for many years, where landowners can certify their land to receive lower property taxes on that parcel etc.

Guest: Jill Hoffmann, Executive Director of the White River Alliance, a Central Indiana watershed project between Ft. Wayne and Indianapolis where water availability is a concern. They have lots of “brown” water in the upper White River and basin that supplies many communities. They also have many communities and residences who draw water from wells that tap into the aquifer under ground. As with other regions in the state, is there enough water available to support the population growth?

Guest: Scott Pelath, Executive Director of the Kankakee River Commission in Northwestern Indiana. A continuing concern is erosion and sediment entering in to the Kankakee River from the Yellow River and
its basin. Because of the fast water entering the Yellow River which is destroying its embankments causing trees to fall into the flow and dam up the river in places causing more flooding is a reason for concern. Photos were shown of damaged embankments that needed corrected. Through monetary assistance and grants, with the permission of landowners, restoration efforts were started on the Yellow River. The restoration included large tracts, some a half mile long or so, that included Rip Rap rock at the normal flow stage and a heavy heavy seeding of natural grasses, with long root systems to stabilize the embankments. And some instances rip rap rock was added into the flow of the river to slow the water speed. These efforts not only helped the farmland from losing soil and nutrients but also improved the habitat of the river.

Guest: Bob Sawtelle, of the Blue River Commission in Southern Indiana, near the area of O’Bannon State Park, told of the condition of the Blue River, that was loaded with lots of old junk, tires, plastics etc. He stated the Blue River is only 6o miles long through rural Indiana with its gravel bottom and large rocks scattered along its way. Cleaning up this river was a priority for many property owners, but didn’t know where to start or how to make it happen. Bob told how he had went to the local high school to enlist interested students that could help make it happen with the guidance of the commission. By having the students involved in the clean up, gave the students more ownership in the project and in turn with their discussion amongst friends and family created more involvement than anticipated. Bob had got help from the state park utilities to haul and recycle the trash as the river was restored to its natural beauty. And, it should be noted that the Blue River is home to Hellbenders, a salamander on the state’s wildlife concern list.

Guest: Nick Burgmeir, Purdue Research Scientist of the Hellbenders and its population decline in southern Indiana has been studying the Hellbenders in the Blue River the past decade. As he stated, “Hellbenders are not mudpuppies”, although some call them that. Hellbenders do have gills when they are born that disappear after a year at which they take in oxygen totally through their skin. Hellbenders are a great indicator of great water quality. They prefer and need clean water and gravel river beds with large rocks to live under. Their preferred diet is crayfish, but do eat other small minnows and larvae found in the river. It takes six years for Hellbenders to reach reproductive stage of their life and then are capable of laying up to 500 eggs. And you can’t tell what sex they are when found, but females search out males and lay their eggs near the males home under the large rock. The fertilizes the eggs and tends to them until born and on their way. Not many survive as habitat is limited, predators such as raccoons, fox and birds of prey also limit survival too, or they are destroyed by the fast waters entering the river. Older adults can survive in not so clean water, but it’s prudent the water be of the best quality for the new borne to survive. So, erosion control is an issue along the Blue River and they are now working with adjacent landowners and farmers to correct the fast water entering the Blue River with monetary aid. Nick stated, that they have programs in place to reintroduce Hellbenders into the Blue River, and are being extended into the Indian Creek with the program. And it should be noted, that a third area on the list of restoration is in our backyard, Laughery Creek in the future.

Reported by Dale Back, New Alsace Conservation Club