Water availability has been a major factor in the development of civilization from the beginning of humanity. We use water for innumerable uses, from survival to industrial cooling. It is no surprise that without water, not only would cities and towns be unable to function, but humans also would not be able to survive without hydration.

More recently, water rights have become increasingly important. Moreso in the western United States, where water is far less abundant, but also here in Hamilton County, close to home. Since growing up in Muncie, IN, I have come to know many examples of how our population utilizes water and how loss of that water could affect us. Muncie has a reservoir on the east side of town that is owned by the water utility and is used to supplement the amount of water flowing in White River, where Muncie acquires its drinking water. There have been several studies done to try to estimate the amount of water we will need in order to support a growing population in the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area. Notably, a large reservoir was proposed between Anderson and Muncie. This is in addition to the Reservoirs created on the north side of Indianapolis: Eagle Creek, Morse, and Geist.

While communities try to entice companies to the area to bolster the local economy, one factor companies look to as a benefit of any proposed development area is water availability. Hamilton County is no stranger to this. In recent years County leadership has been at the forefront of how, when, and where residents use water and how water should be conserved for the future.

If this topic is of interest to readers of this article, Hamilton County Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt will be speaking and taking questions about water availability in Hamilton County at the Hamilton County SWCD Annual Meeting at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds on February 19th. This meeting will also include a review and overview of SWCD events and achievements from 2025, as well as lunch provided and the election of an SWCD Board Member. More info on the Annual Meeting, presentations, and election can be found here.

The Nature Conservancy, in partnership with, among others, the Hamilton County SWCD has acquired grant funds from the National Water Quality Initiative in the form of a Readiness Grant. This grant is based on the upstream waters that flow into Morse Lake from the Big Cicero Creek Watershed in northern Hamilton and Southern Tipton Counties. This grant provides funds for conservation projects that directly affect Morse Lake and its water quality. These conservation projects can range from cover crop programs to vegetative buffers and many projects in between.

If this topic is of interest to readers of this article, representatives from The Nature Conservancy will be speaking and taking questions about the NWQI Readiness Grant and how to be involved at the Hamilton County SWCD Annual Meeting at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds on February 19th. This meeting will also include a review and overview of SWCD events and achievements from 2025, as well as lunch provided and the election of an SWCD Board Member. More info on the Annual Meeting, presentations, and election can be found here. 

​Back to the seeds. Here is what I saw when I cut open 12 seeds (one from each of 12 trees). Five were “spoons”, four were “forks”, and three were “knives”. So how do we interpret that, according to old folklore? Spoons indicate a snowy winter (think of it as a tiny snow shovel). Forks indicate a milder winter. Knives indicate a harsh/cold winter (think of it as cold wind, cutting like a knife). So, what can we take away from these 12 seeds?