Location
The Honey Creek watershed covers approximately 93 square miles across Clay County and Vigo County. Within the watershed, there are four subwatersheds that will be included in the TMDL report: Thompson Ditch, Stone Quarry Branch, Paint Mill Lake, and Headwaters. The Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) for the Honey Creek watershed is 0512011107.
History
Past surveys of the Honey Creek watershed have been conducted as early as 1990, and included lake studies, monitoring for fish communities, fish tissue, macroinvertebrate communities, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and/or water chemistry through several IDEM monitoring programs. Impairments currently identified in the watershed include E. coli, PCBs in Fish Tissue, and impaired biotic communities (IBC). However, PCBs in Fish Tissue will not be addressed by this TMDL. Potential pollution sources contributing to these impairments include nonpoint sources from agricultural lands and pastures, rural run-off, wildlife, as well as point sources from straight pipe discharges and home sewage treatment systems. Data and information gathered for the TMDL analysis will help to further identify the most likely potential pollutant sources in the Honey Creek watershed.
Parameters To Be Addressed
Conducive to determining the current water conditions and extent of impairments in the Honey Creek watershed, a watershed characterization study will be enacted beginning November 2025 and end October 2026. A total of 18 sites will be assessed for general chemistry, nutrient parameters, E. coli, and fish and macroinvertebrate communities. A comprehensive list of all parameters will be referenced in the approved work plan.
Timeline
- A public kickoff meeting was held on October 28, 2025, to introduce the project and solicit input.
- A draft TMDL public meeting is expected to be held in 2027, upon completion of the draft TMDL report.
- Additional meetings will be held as needed. Please check the IDEM calendar for updates.
The TMDL Report
The TMDL Report is anticipated to be completed in 2027.