The conservation of water

MEET STEUBEN COUNTY’S LOCAL RESOURCES WORKING TOGETHER TO MAINTAIN OUR WATER QUALITY

Steuben County depends on its water resources for many activities including drinking, recreating and agricultural production. Residents and visitors are fortunate to have a multitude of local governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations working every day to preserve and maintain water quality for everyone. Take advantage!!! They are here for you!!!

The Steuben County Health Department is a government agency that is dedicated to promoting, protecting, and maintaining public health for all residents and visitors in Steuben County. Through community education and addressing public health issues, the health department provides services devoted to the promotion of a healthy population and safe environment.

The Steuben County Health Department oversee the permitting and enforcement of onsite sewage systems and water wells, conducts investigations of environmental complaints and acts as a liaison between county residents and relevant state agencies.

For 48 years the Steuben County Lakes Council, located in Angola, Indiana, has been working to protect the lakes and streams of Steuben County, Indiana.

As an environmental organization, the Council’s main goal is to educate the public about water quality issues.

The Lakes Council is run by volunteers who are interested in maintaining and improving the lakes environment in Steuben County. Representatives from various Lake Associations attend monthly meetings to share information about issues affecting their lakes.

Since 1948, the Steuben County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has been dedicated to providing leadership and assistance in the proper use and management of soil, water, and related natural resources.

The Steuben County SWCD provides technical expertise, education, and financial assistance, when available, for the implementation of agricultural and urban best management practices (BMP’s) which preserve soil health and water quality, as well as the quality of life in Steuben County.

Best Management Practice (BMP) means a practice, or combination of practices, that is determined to be an effective and practicable means of preventing or reducing the amount of nonpoint pollution to a level compatible with water quality goals.

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, or MS4, refers to conveyances and conveyance systems designed to move stormwater efficiently to prevent flooding in developed areas. These conveyances include infrastructure such as catch basins, pipes, streets, gutters, and ditches that move stormwater runoff to area surface waters

Polluted stormwater runoff is the number one water pollutant. Stormwater picks up trash, chemicals, automotive fluids, fertilizers, and other pollutants as it moves across the land. Without treatment, these pollutants will enter local waterways.

The City of Angola/Trine University MS4 works to implement best management practices within its boundary to reduce pollution in stormwater runoff and to educate all sectors on how to reduce stormwater pollution in their everyday activities.

Purdue Extension improve lives and livelihoods by delivering tested and trusted educational resources.

The Cooperative Extension Service is one of the nation’s largest providers of scientific research-based information and education. It’s a network of colleges, universities, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, serving communities and counties across America.

The Purdue Extension focuses on: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Human and Health Sciences, Economic and Community Development and 4-H Youth.

NRCS helps Steuben County farmers, ranchers and forest landowners conserve the soil, water, air and other natural resources

Financial and technical assistance from NRCS is available to assist farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners voluntarily put conservation on the ground, not only helping the environment but agricultural operations, too.

The mission of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources is to protect, enhance, preserve, and wisely use natural, cultural, and recreational
resources for the benefit of Indiana’s citiziens through professional leadership, management, and education.

To satisfy such a broad and diverse responsibility, the Department is divided into tow distinct areas of responsibility: The Regulatory Management Team; and the Land Management Team. The Regulatory Management Team consist of the Division of Water, Entomology and Plant Pathology; Historic Preservation and Archaelogy; Reclamation; and Oil and Gas. Outdoor recreation and land management programs are housed with the Land Management Team. That unit consist of State Parks; Natural Preserves Land Acquistion; Fish and Wildlife; Outdoor Recreation and Forestry.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s ( IDEM ) mission is to implement federal and state regulations to protect human health and the environment while allowing the environmentally sound operations of industrial, agricultural, commercial, and governmental activities vital to a prosperous economy.

ACRES Land Trust is a member-supported nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting land in northeast Indiana and portions of southern
Michigan and northwest Ohio.

Together with their members, ACRES takes actions to acquire, preserve and restore land, protecting the region’s natural areas and working lands.

ACRES preserves forests, wetlands, native grasslands, unique geologic formations and habitat for plans and animal including rare, threatened and endangered
species. ACRES also protects farmland, managed forests and property for other uses.

Since 1991, the Clear Lake Township Land Conservancy ( CLTLC ) has been entrusted with preserving and protecting this cherished corner of northeast Indiana through ongoing conservation and stewardship efforts. The focus area includes the Town of Clear Lake, the Clear Lake Township and the Clear Lake watershed.

The CLTLC protects and preserves important properties within the Clear Lake watershed. Each year the CLTLC conducts water quality monitoring to guide water quality enhancement efforts and approaches. The CLTLC organizes and hosts a variety of workshops, events and outings that encourage youth and the community to think about nature and the environment and ways they can positively impact it.

The Lake George Conservancy exists to protect and preserve the quality of the ecosystems of Lake George and its watershed through education, research, and procurement of sensitive land, by gift or purchase.

Beginning in the late 1990’s, Lake George residents became increasingly concerned that the surrounding environs were being threatened by a variety of factors. Currently 109 acres are now managed by the LGC including an “Oak Savanna” priority ecosystem for habitat restoration and management.

ALL PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE STEUBEN COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT AND ITS PARTNERSHIP AGENCIES ARE OFFERED ON A NON-DISCRIMINATORY BASIS, WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, DISABILITY, AND WHERE APPLICABLE, SEX, MARITAL STATUS, FAMILIAL STATUS, PARENTAL STATUS, RELIGION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENETIC INFORMATION, POLITICAL BELIEFS, REPRISAL, OR BECAUSE ALL OR PART OF AN INDIVIDUAL’S INCOME IS DERIVED FROM ANY PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.