Summary
The Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) received a 205(j) grant in 2020 from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to write a Watershed Management Plan (WMP) for the Upper White 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 Upper White River Watershed drains 550 square miles in Delaware, Madison, Henry, and Randolph counties. The watershed includes drainage from Madison and Delaware Counties, the cities of Muncie and Anderson, the towns of Yorktown, Daleville, Parker City, Edgewood and Chesterfield, and Ball State University, Anderson University, and Ivy Tech (Muncie location). The watershed includes three 10-digit hydrologic unit codes (HUCs): 0512020103 (Killbuck Creek), 0512020102 (Buck Creek), and 0512020101 (Muncie Creek).
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 Upper White 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 Upper White River WMP meets the requirements of IDEM’s 2009 Watershed Management Plan Checklist and was approved by IDEM and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in October 2024. 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.