 Partnerships
The Steuben County SWCD:
Efforts to Improve the Water Quality of the Pigeon Creek Watershed
The Steuben County SWCD was featured as a 2010 Indiana District Showcase Award winner for their effort to improve the water quality of the Pigeon Creek Watershed.
 Steuben County has long been known for its 101
lakes and protecting their water quality is a top priority of the SWCD. 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 District was able to receive an Indiana Department
of Environmental Management (IDEM) 319 Grant to fund development
of the PCWMP and Phase 1 implementation of the plan. Phase One involved a
partnership with the County Surveyor's office to install agricultural BMPs throughout the watershed. This phase was completed in 2008.
 The riverbank stabilization project shown at the right was a partnership project in the Pigeon Creek Watershed with the USDA NRCS.
The SWCD is currently implementing Phase 2 of another 319 Grant. In addition to
these implementation grants, the District received Lake and River Enhancement
Watershed Land Treatment (LARE WLT) grant funding from 2007-2009. They also
targeted both urban and agricultural landowners with several different cost-share
programs and extensive educational outreach programs within the watershed. This has been accomplished with the assistance and cooperation of numerous
partners within the county who share our vision.
The Steuben County SWCD's work within the Pigeon Creek Watershed through their IDEM 319 Grant is an
effort to address many of the critical natural resource issues they listed in their
Business Plan. Land use issues including the loss of farmland, wetlands and woodlands,
to development and urban sprawling, are critical issues within the watershed.
 Left: Kayleen Hart, SWCD Administrative Coordinator, talks about the District's initiatives to members of the Indiana Conservation Partnership. Since 1993, the District has received approximately $3.8 million in grant funding for conservation land treatment. $2.6 has come from watershed grants and other conservation programs.
They hope that by introducing urban BMPs to the watershed, they can work to
find solutions that allow for both conservation and development.
The Steuben County SWCD, and truly, conservation itself, is strengthened because
of their many partnerships. Their District Showcase tour during the fall of 2010 was an excellent opportunity to see why they are excited about their natural resources partnerships and successes!
Congratulations to the Steuben County SWCD, a 2010 District Showcase Award winner!
>> Click here to find out more about Indiana's SWCDs |
