LaGrange County Lakes Council
To promote, protect and preserve the quality of the lakes and watersheds of LaGrange County
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Recently the US Environmental Protection Agency reported that “one of every three lakes in the United States, and nearly one-quarter of the nation's rivers contain enough pollution that people should limit or avoid eating fish caught there.” Over the years, lakes, creeks, rivers
and tributaries in LaGrange County have appeared on the Indiana 303(d) list as “waters that do not or are not expected to
meet applicable water quality standards.” Water bodies may be listed for water
quality problems ranging from impaired biotic communities to mercury, PCB or E.
coli contamination. Watershed management planning addresses these concerns in a comprehensive and objective manner. Watershed planning connects decision-making to sensible data collection and defensible analysis. Recording those decisions in a watershed plan increases the probability that the problems will be addressed, it will make it easier to obtain grant funds and it provides a way to track progress with measurable results. A watershed management plan for an area in LaGrange and Noble counties that includes nearly 37,250 acres or 58 square miles of land - about two thirds of the land is in southern Lagrange County and one third in northern Noble County is under review. Almost 60% of the watersheds are managed for row crop production, 15% is in pasture or hay production and slightly over 10% is covered by deciduous forests. The towns of Wolcottville and South Milford are located in the watersheds and Indiana State roads 3 and 9 bisect the watershed. The Five Lakes Conservation Association, working with other lake associations and organizations, received state funding to create the plan. A draft of the plan has been submitted to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and finalization of the plan is expected in early spring 2006. Posted: September 2004 - June 2005 - January 2006 |
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