Indiana Watershed Leadership Program

Adopt-A-Stream:
Sara Beatty Stonaha and Kriste Lindberg
We created the timeline for the City of Bloomington’s Adopt-a-Stream program.  For the project, we worked with city departments, Monroe County, and Hoosier Riverwatch, updated manuals and forms, created a draft Web site, and developed a draft agenda for the volunteer orientation meeting.  We will continue to update manual and forms, launch the actual Web site, recruit volunteers, hold an orientation, offer a logo contest, create a video, and more.  Throughout the process, we will be adapting the “boilerplate” version for other municipalities and organizations to use.

Graduation presentation
Project timeline handout

Watershed Groups and Confined Feeding Operations: Bridging the Gap:
Ryan Noblitt and Joe Schmees
We created a “fact versus fiction” presentation about CAFOs/CFOs for watershed groups, hoping this will help groups understand these farms and how they might bring them to the table when addressing concerns.  A fact sheet is included as part of this project.

Graduation presentation
CAFO factsheet (MSPublisher)
Template CAFO presentation
Template presentation instructions

The Average Joe’s Stormwater Quality Monitoring Database:
Kevin Breitzke and Matt Lake
We developed a user friendly Microsoft Access database to assess biological, chemical, and physical parameters of waterways or outfalls.  Standard queries were developed to generate reports for general results/statistics.  MS4 entities and others interested in collecting water quality data can use this to easily manage their data.

Stormwater Quality Database (MSAccess)

Roll Out the Barrels:
Angie Andrews, Monica Christopher, Leslie Raymer and Matt Shively

We organized a mass rain barrel sale, offering barrels for $25 with the use of 319 grant money.  Preparations included: developing flyers, training volunteers to install, securing pickup/staging locations, obtaining volunteers, and developing all paperwork associated.

Graduation presentation
Rain barrel installation video

Watershed Signs on Indiana Routes:
Becky Douglas and Whitney Sauerheber
We mapped interstates and HUC 8 intersections for potential watershed sign location.  In addition, we worked with Tennessee DOT to learn more about their watershed sign program and with INDOT to request modification to their program to allow signs in Indiana.

Graduation presentation

ArcGIS Online for Watershed Groups and County Agencies:
Ben Reinhart

My project evaluated the use of ArcGIS online for watershed planning and education.

Graduation presentation

Non-Point Source Communities Septic Mitigation Toolbox
Nick Ellis, Mike Novac and Bryan Pohl

We developed a mitigation toolbox that will allow un-sewered communities to easily access funding and technical services.

Graduation presentation
Toolbox handout

Learning from IDEM’s Fixed Station Data:
Gretchen Quirk, Krista Rose and Kyle Vester

We organized data from IDEM’s fixed station monitoring program, made it more accessible and user-friendly, and we provided examples of how the data can be used and ideas on how other data could be incorporated in the future.

Graduation presentation

How CAFOs Land Apply Manure:
Julie Lamberson and Cherylynn Schilling

We created an informational video that can be used as an educational resource for the land application of manure as fertilizer, and the measures that are taken to help ensure that negative environmental impacts are kept to a minimum

Graduation presentation
Land application video

Raising Awareness to Facilitate Beneficial Connections between Watershed Groups, Government, and Floodplain Managers
Mia Goulding, Colby Gray, Erin Maloney and Santina Wortman

This project highlights the regulatory power associated with locally adopted floodplain management ordinances and suggests methods for encouraging local governments to adopt higher than the minimum State ordinance requirements to assist in achieving mutual goals.  We also specifically addressed financial incentives available through the Community Rating System, which provides flood insurance premium discounts to all insurance policies purchased within a community which meets specific higher standard requirements.  We produced fact sheets on these topics that can be used by others.

Graduation presentation
Watershed Management fact sheet
Floodplain Management fact sheet
Riparian Buffers fact sheet
Community Based Strategies fact sheet