Summary
The Elkhart River Restoration Association (ERRA) and the City of Goshen received a 205(j) grant in 2022 from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to write a Watershed Management Plan (WMP) for the Lower Elkhart River Watershed. The WMP is a strategy for achieving water quality goals by characterizing the watershed, setting goals and actions steps, and developing an implementation plan to address documented problems.
The Lower Elkhart River Watershed drains 295 square miles in Elkhart, Noble, and Kosciusko counties. The watershed includes drainage from Elkhart County, City of Elkhart, City of Nappanee, and the City of Goshen. The watershed includes two 10-digit hydrologic unit codes (HUCs): 0405000117 (Turkey Creek) and 0405000119 (Elkhart River).
A Steering Committee was formed, conducted windshield surveys of the watershed, and held several meetings open to the public in order to generate input in the development of a watershed management plan for Lower Elkhart River Watershed. Based on water quality data and the watershed inventories conducted during the project, nutrients, sediment, and E. coli, were identified as water quality problems in the watershed. The stormwater carrying these pollutants can alter the temperature and pH of the stream, damage aquatic habitat, and add sediment to the stream flow by scouring the channel and banks.
The Lower Elkhart River WMP meets the requirements of IDEM’s 2009 Watershed Management Plan Checklist and was approved by IDEM and (as a result) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in January 2025. Meeting IDEM standards allows stakeholders to apply for State grant money to improve the watershed. The creation of this plan is not government mandated and participation is voluntary.