Eagle Creek Watershed Alliance Receives $650,000 Grant
By John Ulmer
Posted: January 18, 2010
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The Eagle Creek Watershed Alliance, ECWA, was awarded a federal Clean Water Act grant to continue its work in the Eagle Creek Watershed. The watershed, all the land area that drains into Eagle Creek reservoir, includes portions of Boone, Hamilton and Marion counties in central Indiana. The Alliance, and its predecessor the Eagle Creek Watershed Task Force, have worked to improve water quality for over ten years.
The focus of this grant will be to reduce nutrient loads in the water. Excessive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus (two of the three major components of fertilizer) provide plenty of food for aquatic plants, especially algae. Excessive algae “blooms” (dense floating mats of algae) degrade water quality by reducing oxygen and producing taste and odor problems as the algae dies and decomposes. While taste and odor have been problems in past years, blue-green algae presents new challenges for the three area drinking water supply reservoirs. Blue-green algae can produce a toxin called microcystin which can cause eye, ear, skin irritation and in high concentrations be a liver toxin. Blue-green algae has been a particular problem in Geist reservoir in the past.
The Center for Earth and Environmental Sciences at IUPUI recently developed a Microcystin analysis laboratory which is the only one of its type in Indiana. The Center is also the administrator for the Alliances grant as well as providing essential scientific support. Past efforts of the Alliance have included the promotion of no-till farming practices, fencing of livestock from being able to get into streams, manure management systems to reduce runoff into streams, education of hundreds of elementary students in water quality awareness and DNA typing of e. Coli bacteria just to mention a few.
The ECWA’s goal, in this grant, is to limit the amount of nutrients entering our waters through the education of homeowners in reducing the amount of phosphorus used on their lawns. Other groups such as Indiana Wildlife Federation are also working to educate the public on the importance of reducing the amount of nutrients that we put on our lawns that eventually ends up in our waters. Reducing or removing the phosphorus in the fertilizer you apply this spring is something you should consider.
John Ulmer is for Eagle Creek Watershed Alliance.
Posted: January 18, 2010
Report Abuse
The Eagle Creek Watershed Alliance, ECWA, was awarded a federal Clean Water Act grant to continue its work in the Eagle Creek Watershed. The watershed, all the land area that drains into Eagle Creek reservoir, includes portions of Boone, Hamilton and Marion counties in central Indiana. The Alliance, and its predecessor the Eagle Creek Watershed Task Force, have worked to improve water quality for over ten years.
The focus of this grant will be to reduce nutrient loads in the water. Excessive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus (two of the three major components of fertilizer) provide plenty of food for aquatic plants, especially algae. Excessive algae “blooms” (dense floating mats of algae) degrade water quality by reducing oxygen and producing taste and odor problems as the algae dies and decomposes. While taste and odor have been problems in past years, blue-green algae presents new challenges for the three area drinking water supply reservoirs. Blue-green algae can produce a toxin called microcystin which can cause eye, ear, skin irritation and in high concentrations be a liver toxin. Blue-green algae has been a particular problem in Geist reservoir in the past.
The Center for Earth and Environmental Sciences at IUPUI recently developed a Microcystin analysis laboratory which is the only one of its type in Indiana. The Center is also the administrator for the Alliances grant as well as providing essential scientific support. Past efforts of the Alliance have included the promotion of no-till farming practices, fencing of livestock from being able to get into streams, manure management systems to reduce runoff into streams, education of hundreds of elementary students in water quality awareness and DNA typing of e. Coli bacteria just to mention a few.
The ECWA’s goal, in this grant, is to limit the amount of nutrients entering our waters through the education of homeowners in reducing the amount of phosphorus used on their lawns. Other groups such as Indiana Wildlife Federation are also working to educate the public on the importance of reducing the amount of nutrients that we put on our lawns that eventually ends up in our waters. Reducing or removing the phosphorus in the fertilizer you apply this spring is something you should consider.
John Ulmer is for Eagle Creek Watershed Alliance.
posted by Ross Reller at 7:10 AM
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