Watershed Management Planfor Restoration and Protection of

Bean Blossom Creek and Lake Lemonand

The Bean Blossom Watershed Project

Presented By: Martha MillerMonroe County Soil & Water Conservation District

In The Beginning…..There was a thought which lead to a discussion.

The discussion lead to an action.

The action lead to determination.

The determination lead to the plan.

The plan lead to a thought.

The Thought…..The water quality in Lake Lemon and Bean Blossom Watershed

was not good and that something should be done.

The Discussion…..

In 2001, the Hoosier Environmental Council was asked by the Brown County Heritage Council to provide assistance in promoting awareness about water quality issues in Brown County. A steering committee was formed, partly because poor water quality might have a negative impact on the important tourism-based economy of Brown County.

The Action…..In 2003, the Hoosier Environmental Council submitted a proposal to IDEM to develop a watershed plan for the Bean Blossom/Lake Lemon watershed. The emphases was to provide more background information and to get the public involved . This project was approved in March of 2005 and funded by the IDEM in June 2005.

The Determination…..

Rae Schnapp was the lead writer of the plan. Because of her determination to get the necessary data, include various stakeholders input and a strong attention to the issues a watershed plan was completed and given public approval by IDEM in December 2007.

The Plan…..

A 207 page document that took 3 years to compile and write.

A combination of reviewing data, mapping, interviews, investigations and hours of writing.

Input from 45 individuals representing approximately 30 different organizations or agencies.

About The Watershed Management Planfor Restoration and Protection of

Bean Blossom Creek and Lake LemonThe Bean Blossom Creek is a picturesque stream that drains 192.6 square miles of land in the northern half of Indiana's Brown, Monroe and Johnson counties.

The headwaters lie in the northern part of Brown and a slight edge of Johnson Counties and generally flows westward through Monroe County to the confluence with the West Fork of the White River in Owen County, near Gosport.

Lake Lemon is 1650 acres in the middle of the watershed. Its original purpose was to provide flood control and drinking water for the City of Bloomington.

There are 6 - MS4’s inside the watershed: City of Bloomington, Town of Ellettsville, Indiana University, Ivy Tech State College, Brown and Monroe Counties.

So where do we begin?

Inventory

• 1 a: an itemized list of current assets: as (1): a catalog of the property of an individual or estate (2): a list of goods on hand

• b: a survey of natural resources • c: a list of traits, preferences, attitudes,

interests, or abilities used to evaluate personal characteristics or skills.

The Bean Blossom watershed is mostly forested, with scattered agricultural and rural residential land uses, and growing urban/suburban areas near Bloomington and Ellettsville in the southwestern portion of the watershed.

Collection of new data was beyond the scope of the current watershed planning process. However, HEC did review and summarize a large body of data on the watershed, including information collected earlier by the Lake Lemon Conservancy District and by IDEM.

• Using Indiana GIS it was established that a large majority of the streams in the watershed were impaired and several acres of the forests were being managed.

There’s More Than Data to Consider The Steering Committee had diverse membership, but it also had constantlychanging participation in that many members attended only sporadically and new people joined throughout the process.

The steering committee reviewed public concerns expressed at various venues and evaluated existing data to determine whether perceived threats were valid problems and the approximate level of severity.

The Dead Zone Connection

Bean Blossom Creek is a tributary of the White River. The White River inturn drains to the Wabash River which flows to the Ohio River. The Ohio River drains to the Mississippi, which ultimately flows to the Gulf of Mexico. Our activities on the land in south-central Indiana can play a role in the overall health of the Mississippi Basin and the Gulf of Mexico.

Topography and Geology

The Bean Blossom Creek watershed is characterized by ridges with steep slopesand narrow valleys between them. The Mississippian age rocks that make up thisspectacularly scenic region are mostly siltstone rich in silica with a shift to limestone bedrock in the western portion of the watershed. Landscape of Indiana, John R. Hill, Indiana Geological Survey

Wow It’s A Wetland

Septic Systems

According to Purdue University’s Census of Wastewater Disposal by IndianaCounty most Brown County soils have severe limitations for septic systems, yet 90% of county residents are served by onsite systems.

Monroe County has 73% of it’s soils classified as having severe limitations for septic systems. Unlike Brown County 75% of Monroe County Residents are on a Sewer System.

Wildlife

Common wildlife species in the watershed include whitetail deer, wild turkey,squirrels, fox, and coyote. Bean Blossom Creek, its tributaries, and the ponds and lakes throughout the watershed contain a variety of warm water fish and aquatic life, such as bluegill, crappie, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and catfish.

The watershed is home to several rare and endangered species as well. Since1985, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources has released 73 Bald Eagle chicks at nearby Lake Monroe, resulting in an increasing number of sightings of this species at Lake Lemon.

Land Use

In Summary – Things We Needed To Consider

• Land Use• Wildlife• Septic Systems• Public Perception• Impaired Waters• Wetlands• Topography• Geology• Stakeholder Investments

In The Beginning…..There was a thought which lead to a discussion.

The discussion lead to an action.

The action lead to determination.

The determination lead to the plan.

The plan lead to a thought.

The Thought…..This is a great plan someone should implement it.

The Discussion…..The Monroe County Soil & Water Conservation District began discussing with other interested parties the possibility of writing a 319 grant for implementation based on this plan.

The Action…..In April 2008 the Monroe and Brown Co SWCD’s brought 25 individuals representing 10 agencies together to start an implementation plan. An so began the process and in September 2008 a 319 application was submitted.

The Determination…..

The Plan…..

Questions?

What Is It?

I’m Yellow

I have an inside and an outside

I have some black spots

Kids and Adults both like me

I am very common

I’m cold and wet

Some people really like me

I run when I get warm

A true leader guides those around them; encouraging them to be better and stronger, empowering them with the confidence that they need to accomplish the goal!

You are the leader of your watersheds – so go lead!

A true leader guides those around them; encouraging them to be better and stronger, empowering them with the confidence that they need to accomplish the goal!

You are the leader of your watersheds – so go lead!

Martha Miller

Monroe County Soil & Water Conservation District

martha.miller@in.nacdnet.net

812-349-2046