Indiana has more than 35,000 miles of rivers and streams, 100,000 acres of publicly owned lakes and reservoirs, and 50 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, according the Environmental Protection Agency. Photo from Adobe Stock.

By Terri Dee
Indiana News Service

INDIANA — The Annual Indiana Water Summit, coming up next week, will offer ideas on protecting the state’s waterways.

A 2022 report paints a troubling picture of Indiana’s waterways and streams.

The nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project says the Hoosier state has the most miles of contaminated rivers and streams than any other state.

And almost all the lakes and reservoirs sampled are not considered safe for drinking or swimming.

Bill Blomquist — a summit organizer and member of the board of the White River Alliance with the White River Alliance — said the gathering will also include an in-depth conversation on Indiana’s water law.

“The reason we started it was for there to be a place for statewide conversations about all aspects of our water resources,” said Blomquist, “water supply and water demand, and water quality, environmental, economic uses of our water resources.”

Blomquist noted that Indiana is seeing more storm intensity, which can lead to more runoff and greater flood risk.

He said he thinks the most pressing issue of the two-day summit will be whether Indiana needs a state water strategy.

The event is open to the public and will feature a mix of agriculture, utility and environmental experts. It’s at the Biltwell Event Center in Indianapolis.

Blomquist said most people know about emerging contaminants such as PFAS, but not about pesticides and fertilizers that end up running off into state waters.

Concern is growing about the state’s water supply, usage and whether there will be enough water where and when it’s needed.

Blomquist noted that Indiana is one of the heaviest water-using states in the country.

“We’re fortunate because we have a lot of water,” said Blomquist. “We have abundant fresh water. But that doesn’t mean it’s unlimited. That doesn’t mean it’s infinite. We still have to be smart about how we use it.”

Indiana’s population is projected to be at just over 7 million by 2040, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

This means as competition grows for limited water sources, ground and surface water points may not be replenished enough to meet the demand.