LaPorte County Water Quality
Surface Water Quality
Surface water quality in the United States has greatly improved since enactment of the Clean Water Act in 1972. Sewage treatment plants and industries, which previously discharged minimally-treated pollution into streams, are now required to have permits for all discharges. Although much remains to be done, many rivers that once barely supported fish are now fully supportive of a variety of aquatic life.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management monitors rivers and streams around Indiana, and reports the results every two years. Because Trail Creek is designated as a salmonid stream, a more stringent set of water quality standards applies than for general use streams. In the past, many water quality problems have been associated with Trail Creek caused by inadequately treated sewage, combined sewer overflows, industrial discharges and chemicals. Significant modifications to the Michigan City sewage treatment plant were recently completed to prevent the plant from discharging raw or inadequately treated waste water into Trail Creek. Other streams in the Lake Michigan watershed that were monitored in 1994-5 include Kintzele Ditch, which was found to be fully supportive of aquatic life.

The Kankakee River was found to be fully supportive of aquatic life, but non-supportive of recreational use (swimming) due to bacteria. The Little Kankakee was found to be fully supportive of aquatic life (based on habitat and other indicators) at Fish Lake, but non-supportive at the headwaters near LaPorte. Travis Ditch at LaPorte and Kingsbury Creek at Kingsbury were also found to be non-supportive of aquatic life.

A fish consumption advisory was issued in 1997 for the Kankakee River in LaPorte County. Due to long-lasting contaminants such as PCB’s or mercury, many fish in this waterway should be consumed only once per week or once per month. Carp anywhere in Indiana can be contaminated with both PCB’s and mercury and should be consumed rarely. For more information, consult the most recent Indiana Fish Consumption Advisory (see “Sources of Information” section).

Many lakes were analyzed as part of a lake study carried out by the Indiana Clean Lakes Programs in 1995.

The Trophic State Index is an estimate of lake condition based on nutrition or biological productivity, ranging from 0 to 75. As nutrients such as phosphorus or nitrogen wash into lakes they stimulate increased growth in aquatic plants. A lake with low Trophic State Index (0 to 25) has low concentrations of nutrients and is clear with little algae. A high Trophic State Index (50 to 75) has high concentrations of nutrients, low dissolved oxygen levels during summers, and abundant weeds and algae. All lakes measured in LaPorte county have relatively low levels of nutrients and algae. (Trophic State Index less than 29.)

In LaPorte County, all lakes where swimming is permitted are monitored regularly by the LaPorte County Health Department for bacteria. If levels of E. coli (an indicator bacteria) are too high, the beach is closed until the bacteria level goes down.

Ground Water Quality
Information on ground water quality in LaPorte County is limited. In Indiana, the most common pollutants in ground water are volatile organic compounds (gasoline and other petroleum products) and nitrate. Industrialized areas exhibit the highest degree of contamination, but many private wells are contaminated by volatile organic compounds, often from old underground storage tanks.

One of the few sources of information on ground water in LaPorte County is a voluntary private well testing program carried out in 1994 by Purdue Extension, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Farm Bureau. Nitrate, which has adverse effects on infants, was found at levels above the drinking water standard in approximately 11% of wells tested. These households should treat their water with reverse osmosis or distillation or use bottled water, particularly if an infant is present or expected in the household.

Screening was also done for two pesticide groups. Triazine herbicides include atrazine, Bladex, and Princep. None of the wells tested showed levels of concern for these pesticides. Acetanilide herbicides include Lasso, Dual, Ridomil, and the breakdown products of these herbicides. About 9% of wells tested had levels of concern for these pesticides, although a breakdown product of Dual may be responsible for most of these findings.

Well testing results in LaPorte County, 1994. (Source: Nitrate and Pesticides in Private Wells of Indiana)

The majority of wells in LaPorte County can therefore be assumed to provide safe, clean water for drinking. Testing of all private wells should continue every few years, however, to be sure that water remains safe. The LaPorte County Health Department (219-326-6808) can test for bacteria, nitrate, and other potential contaminants for a reasonable cost.