Steuben County has long been known for its 101 lakes, and protecting their water quality has always been a priority. In 2006, the Pigeon Creek Watershed Management Plan (PCWMP) was completed after Pigeon Creek was placed on the Indiana State Impaired Water Bodies list.
In a partnership with Steuben County Government, the Steuben County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) was able to receive an Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) 319 Grant to fund development of the PCWMP and Phase One Implementation of the plan. Phase One involved a partnership with the County Surveyor's office to install agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) throughout the watershed. This phase was completed in 2008.
The SWCD currently implements Phase 2 of another IDEM 319 grant received in 2009. This grant involves both agricultural and urban BMPs, as well as septic system education and water quality monitoring. Additionally, the District received Lake and River Enhancement Watershed Land Treatment (LARE WLT) grant funding in the Pigeon Creek Watershed from 2007-2009, complementing our agricultural BMP program.
We have targeted both agricultural and urban landowners in this watershed with several different cost-share programs and an extensive educational outreach program. This has been accomplished with the assistance and cooperation of numerous partners in the county who share the District's vision.
Our work in the Pigeon Creek Watershed addresses many critical natural resource issues listed in our business plan. Land use issues from the loss of farmland, wetlands and woodlands, to development and urban sprawl, are critical issues within the watershed. We hope that by introducing urban BMPs to this watershed, we can work to find solutions that allow for both conservation and development.
The Steuben County SWCD is strengthened because of our many partnerships. By coordinating with other agencies which share our same vision, we are not only strengthening the District, but also demonstrating how we can work together as agencies and a community. Our goal is to create a snowball effect on future water quality projects; prompting the community's appetite for improving their surroundings. Watching the success of this project has been very exciting and rewarding.
One of the recent, exciting developments from our work in the Pigeon Creek Watershed has been the launch of our "RISE UP to Reduce Your Storm Water - Communities Building Rain Barrels" program. With the success of the urban portion of our Phase Two implementation grant, and the continued demand for rain barrels, even after the 40 barrels we had ordered with 319 funds were installed, we decided to try to expand this program. In 2011, we received funding from the National Conservation Foundation to help us achieve this goal. We formed a partnership with the Rehabilitation and Industrial Services Enterprises, Inc. (RISE) of Angola to build 200 rain barrels for distribution in the urban and lake areas around our entire county. Several other partners also are assisting with this venture.
We look forward to sharing our progress with this project in the future.