The 2020 White River Mainstem Project

David Bradway - Conservation Administrator 

State and local environmental agencies will sometimes undertake large projects that show results regionally rather than by city or county divisions. One such project was conducted in 2020 wherein a multi-agency crew surveyed the West Fork White River and White River from its headwaters in Randolph County to the confluence with the Wabash River. I was able to ask some questions of the group. Drew Holloway with the Muncie Sanitary District Bureau of Water Quality, Kevin Gaston with Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and Sandy Clark with Indiana Department of Natural Resources shared their insight from the work they completed. Links to the data and referenced websites can be found in the interview below. 

White River through Rocky Ripple neighborhood.

Can you summarize the project?

• Good water quality is required to support diverse fish communities. A 2020 survey involving three agencies, 21 full-time staff members, and four interns collectively sampled 65 sites along the White River encompassing 405 river miles. These sites consisted of three rounds of water quality monitoring (900+ sample bottles), 62 electrofishing sites and habitat evaluations (using nine boats, two canoes, two tote barges and one backpack electrofishing unit), and 12 macroinvertebrate sample sites. After processing 17,232 fish from 94 different species the results showed a resilient and overall healthy fish community; however, some reaches of the river had conditions unsuitable for healthy fish populations. Therefore, more work is still needed to reduce sediment and nutrient loads within the watershed. 

 
What was the initial goal of the project?

• This project started with Kevin and I [Drew] discussing the possibility of working together in 2020 when IDEM was next scheduled to be working in the West Fork White River drainage. As our conversation grew, so did the scope of this project and we decided to loop in the IN DNR. When it was all said and done, our goal was to complete a one-year study of White River to get a better understanding of its biological communities and chemical water quality.

 
Were any outcomes gleaned through collected data for White River? Hamilton County?

• One of our goals of this project was to share data with the public as quickly as possible and create interest for people living within the watershed. As a result, an interactive White River Project Storymap was created with all the data collected available to the public in an easy-to-use format. We also focused on reaching out to the media and local organizations to get the word out about the project and create awareness about the river.

 
How do sections of White River through Hamilton County look chemically, biologically, habitat?

• We had a total of 8 sites throughout Hamilton County. Biologically, fish sites are scored using the Index of Biotic Integrity, which uses 12 metrics to determine the overall health of the observed fish community. The average score for our Hamilton County sites was a 45 (Good integrity class). Similar to our fish data, habitat is scored using the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index, which scores all aspects of a stream from the substrate to the riparian zone beyond the streams edge. The average score for these sites was a 71 (Good rating) as well.

 
Describe your thoughts on sport fishing in White River through Hamilton County.

• The sport fishing opportunities throughout Hamilton County are great! We had some of our biggest Smallmouth Bass come from these sections as well as some nice Rock Bass and Bluegill. Smallmouth Bass up to 17 inches and Rock Bass over 10 inches were documented in the areas upstream of Noblesville. Access to the river is also good through Hamilton County and people can find public access sites on the IN DNR Where to Fish in Indiana website.

 
Do your findings show anything about the level of conservation work done in Hamilton County?

• Water conditions in Indiana and across the country have seen great improvements since the passing of the Clean Water Act in 1972. However, monitoring water quality improvements on rivers presents a challenge as it is not just the result of local conditions but a combination of conditions upstream and from the entire watershed. Many tributaries in the Upper White River have high levels of E.coli bacteria and excess nutrients. Pollution sources in the watershed include nonpoint sources from agriculture and pastures, land application of manure and urban and rural run-off, as well as point sources from straight pipe discharges, home sewage treatment system disposal, and combined sewer overflow outlets. New emphasis has been placed on the river over the last couple years with major media stories about the condition of the river and calls for renewed focus on partners working together to continue work within the watershed. As conditions on the river have improved, we have seen an increase in recreational activities including fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and wildlife viewing. As more people find connection to the river, we hope conservation efforts will continue. Groups like Friends of the White River, The White River Alliance, and Hamilton County Parks and Recreation have made great strides in educating the public about how they can help the river by organizing trash cleanups and river outing events. Seeing a healthy stream with lots of diversity should invoke a sense of pride to anyone who lives, works, or plays along the banks of White River.

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Sixty-two sites along the West Fork White River and White River were sampled during the 2020 White River Mainstem Project.

​Any plans for similar projects on other streams?

• This project got the attention of various groups across Indiana including universities and other monitoring agencies but at this time there isn’t anything planned. We were also asked about repeating the project after the “Dig Indy” sewer separation project is completed in 2025.

 For additional information on Hamilton County water concerns contact David.Bradway@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.