EPA reports came out March 2013
National Stream and River Assessment:
Using statistical analysis to gauge
the overall health of our rives and streams. Among its findings:
1) 55% of the nation’s river and stream miles do not support healthy populations
of aquatic life, with phosphorus
and nitrogen pollution and poor habitat the most widespread problems.
2) 55% of the nation’s river and stream miles do not support healthy populations
of aquatic life, with phosphorus and nitrogen pollution and poor habitat the
most widespread problems.
3) 23% of river and stream miles are in fair condition; and 21% are in good
condition and support healthy biological communities.
AQUATIC SURVEY
__________________________
2012 303(d) List of Impaired Waters Revised and
Submitted to U.S. EPA on December 28, 2012 as an Addendum to IDEM’s 2012
Integrated Report
Please Fort Wayne, put this plan into action immediately...YOU wrote it,
lets stick to it!
Understanding the Planning
Process and Engaging Planning Officials
By: Abigail
King
The comprehensive plan for our
entire county is called “Plan-it Allen.” The first draft came around on June
2006. The final copy was put up for review in January 2007 and by September
2007, all of the 30 stakeholder groups including the councils of all the
townships had accepted the plan. By the first week of November, the plan was
distributed to the public. The last county plan was 30 years old and the last
city plan was 20 years old, so our community was ready to redefine and map out
the new directions that Fort Wayne/Allen County need to take. This plan also
marked the beginning of consolidating programs and offices of Allen County and
the City of Fort Wayne. The Plan’s purpose is to lay out a path to
sustainability, to preserve and enhance our quality of life and natural
environment, and to position Allen County and Fort Wayne as regionally strong
and competitive in the global economy. It is found at,
PlanYourCommunity.Org
The comprehensive plan is 145
pages long and contains 10 chapters. In order the chapters are listed as: 1) Land
Use, 2) Economic Development, 3) Housing and Neighborhoods, 4)Transportation,
5) Environmental Stewardship, 6) Community Identity and Appearance, 7) Community
Facilities, 8) Utilities, 9) Townships “Grabill, Huntertown, Monroeville, and
Woodburn,” 10) Implementation – Still to Come?.
Creating the first joint plan for
land and living in Allen County/Fort Wayne, included a Comprehensive Plan
Committee, the Element Work Groups, the Vision Work Group, the Stakeholder
Groups, elected and appointed officials, professional consultants, and Allen
County and City of Fort Wayne staff members, as well as individual citizens.
Official signatures included: Former Mayor Graham A. Richard, Mark D. Becker
(Deputy Mayor), Linda K. Bloom & Councilman Bill Brown (Plan-It Allen
Co-Chairs), and F. Nelson Peters (Allen County Commissioner). The Plan says it
had 150 people in the planning process.
Co-chairs and members of the Plan-It Allen study with
contributions to the Plan
Co-Chairs
Mark Becker -
Director, City of Fort Wayne Division of Community Development
Nelson Peters- Allen County Commissioner
Members
Chuck Bodenhafer, Mike Bynum, Steve Corona, Dan Ernst, Allan D. Frisinger, Mark
Hoeppner, Maye Johnson, Wilbur Knipstein, Gonzalee Martin, James Owen, John
Shoaff, Tom Smith, Jeff Thomas Judi Wire
Primary Staff
Pam Holocher, AICP Director, City of Fort Wayne Planning Department & Kim
Bowman, AICP
Director, Allen County Department of Planning Services
Plan-It
Allen will be used by the community as a public policy guideline by providing
support, assistance, recommendations and counsel to decision makers. This will
preserve our community character, enhance the quality of life of all the living
things and advance actions that will be in the long-term best interests of the
community, as well as growing Fort Wayne into a more welcoming community.
In the Plan-It Allen executive
summary, there is a list of main points the plan addresses and seeks to
accomplish. For this paper, we have chosen to focus on ways to help accomplish
this city/county plan!
Plan-It Allen describes some features of our
land/river areas and goals:
• Most of the
forested river corridors in the county have been removed, exposing vast amounts
of riverbank which is a contributor to erosion and sediment.
• Allen County’s
three rivers are its primary character defining feature, the one item that ties
city and county together. The City and County however, are separately funded
entities and have their own departments and employees and rarely interact with
one another, even though there are several matching departments between the two.
• Utility availability, especially sanitary sewer service, is the key driver for
new land development. “No more CSO’s.”
• Water quality,
storm water drainage and sewage issues recognize no political boundaries and
need regional coordination.
• By 2025, Allen
County/Fort Wayne will need 1,223 more acres of parkland.
• The visual
character, historic features and natural assets inherent within the community
should be retained and enhanced, according to the plan.
•Preservation of
our community character.
•An enhanced
quality of life.
•Advancement of
actions that will be in the long-term best interests of the community.
•Encourage the
retention of the natural and visual character derived from areas such as
woodlands, wetlands and the riparian corridor.
In this same vein then, Save Maumee has also added some ideas on top of the
Plan-It Allen Comprehensive Plan. Below are a handful of supplemental ideas to
correspond with the already existing Plan-It Allen.
To contribute to
this comprehensive plan Save Maumee has devised ways to incorporate an
integrated approach to planning and development. For example, each project will
be examined through the filter of all of the Plan’s elements, principles and
goals. This next section is how these suggested elements interconnect and
relate, not just to Save Maumee’s projects, but to our greater community. It is
necessary to allocate land for education programs for community schools and
community service, incorporated with preservation and restoration.
Collaborating with other organizations like Yoder Farm, ACRES Land Trust and
Isaac Walton League can also yield alternate programs for education and outreach
and incorporation in an Upper-Maumee Watershed Management Plan.
To adhere to the
Plan, we as a community need to allocate land for kids and families, while at
the same time utilizing community corrections to work allocated lands and
streambanks with designed programs. Within this there should also be a type of
“river janitor” position. Currently there are River Greenway sponsors that
pledge a mile or two of cleaning up garbage along the sidewalks. These groups
only are required to clean up garbage 9 feet on either side of the sidewalk
areas, therefore all of the garbage remains on the streambanks. Our suggestions
could also yield more fish for fishermen in the river with our release program.
We could help with the community identity and appearance through revitalization
of our rivers. The following ideas can provide community service requirements
for different programs.
3 phases for community schools
outside education - We
need to bring the fun and being outside back into education! Much of
Plan-It-Allen coincides with all of the following ideas.
Phase 1 (Getting acquainted with nature)
We would take a classroom into the woods / riverbank / greenhouse (depending
on the day). During this first stage, programs would focus on identifications
of outdoor items. They would include tree and edibles identification, the value
and purpose to each of the natural elements would also be addressed through a
hands-on program. There would be hands on learning programs in this phase,
perhaps including litter pickup, recycling, waste reduction and plant growth
needs.
Phase 2 (Classroom Hands-On
Education)
There would be education
in the classroom and discussion about what they
learned and how they can apply it to their own households, so they can carry the
stewardship forward into the world. Of course we do not want to “reinvent the
wheel,” there are plenty of programs already developed that are ready to educate
youth about the outdoor environment, we will simply provide the staff to bring
the educational programs to them! Classroom would also include hands-on
projects. (enviroscape)
Phase 3 (Applying what you have
learned while you enjoy nature)
Take the children back to
the allocated land/riverbank/greenhouse and reinforce
the classroom education and bring it back into the wild again on-in site! A
Master Naturalist/Master Gardener/other expert could lead the kids outside to
the allocated area where they can do clean-up, plantings, composting,
aquaculture etc., all while explaining what they are doing and how it is
improving our area and our water. This three phase system will ensure that the
upcoming generations, who will eventually replace us in our positions, are ahead
of the learning curve by having a demonstrable working knowledge of these tools.
Community
Service – (through
Community Corrections and volunteer groups) We can help people to fulfill their
required hours of service and learn, while they are actively involved through
this call of action! For example, Master Naturalists, Master Gardeners and some
school projects MUST provide a given number of hours of community service, which
upon completion could allow for certification possibilities. By arming “at-risk”
adults and youth that are required to fulfill community service hours, it allows
them to be part of a larger community and allow them to have pride in decisions
they make for their own futures. In this way, correction can be an inclusive
entity instead of an exclusive removal of persons, thus ensuring that people are
welcome, needed and very much more likely to not become re-offenders in the
future.
Family
Volunteers – For example:
One Saturday per month have family day on the river! There would be a community
volunteer calendar that could give the location (because location would move) of
where to meet at a specific time. This activity allows these families to get
some exercise together, bond, learn responsibility and hopefully spur others to
community interactions through cleaning up garbage, plantings and greenhouse
work. A map would have different areas of “where to be” that day. In the
future, a pontoon boat could be borrowed from Hall’s Restaurants or
purchased/donated along the way for weather permitting use (used of course).
Agriculture
Land Use – Moratorium
needs to be developed for zoning changes from agriculture to anything else. Use
what we HAVE instead of more urban sprawl. This theme has been found throughout
the entire Plan.
All this
would be accomplished through:
-
Focus placed on identification of plants, animals, conservation of
water, current home practices, invasive species removal, water testing,
wetlands or a plentitude of other topics could be covered while working on
an appropriated piece of land.
-
Rain dates would include indoor activities including: working in
the greenhouse that will (hopefully) break ground in September 2009 pending
the rest of approvals! Greenhouse work would include nurturing plant plugs
for the riverbanks, fish farming for food and release (potential for income)
farming on the property of native fruits, nuts, veggies (potential for
income) learning about horticulture, composting, restoration practices, to
arm volunteers with information they can carry out into their own
communities.
-
Make everyone an environmental activist through education and new
how-to-it-tive-ness, while making them a part of their community through
service. Altruism should be brought back to life!
-
Participants could earn “garbage points,” whoever brings back the
most trash gets a gift; take a tree, a shovel, a rake, seeds, fish for
eating or returning to wild for a “prize for their individual efforts.”
-
Allocated land resources for this work has to be obtained and we
must have the community involved for these projects to be successful
-
I have been teaching children in a learning environment outside my
home and for private schools since 2001, and have the qualifications to make
this program move forward.
Below are some tools to
implement, provided through the Sewage Overflow Reduction and Long Term Control
Plan, Executive Summary for the City Utilities of Fort Wayne.
There
is now a document called Fort Wayne City Utilities – “Sewage Overflow Reduction
and Long Term Control Plan,” in print. This Executive Summary outlines how and
why they are spending almost 240 million dollars over the next 18 years for
separating the storm sewer from the sanitary sewers. This infrastructure
improvement is in conjunction with the Plan-It Allen comprehensive plan and EPA
federal mandates.
Another development occurred in
the first week of February 2008 at the Sewer Advisory Board meeting, there was
an announcement pertaining to land use and Best Management Practices (BMP's). The
announcement was basically that the city of Fort Wayne will now handle all plans
when it comes to review, approval, and enforcement, not the SWCD which the
duties were previously bestowed. What that means is that any construction
project that is over 1 acre has to submit their plans that deal with Soil and
Erosion control and address at least 80% of suspended solids through the
combination of BMPs that are charted and listed in the new policy and procedure
publication. The Soil and Water Conservation District will still play a part in
their old duties when the City or County has a construction development that
includes more then 1 acre or public/private collaboration like the North River
Now development. These plans enforced use of BMPs will greatly reduce the
sedimentation that affects our rivers. Save Maumee would like to help this
comprehensive plan be realized through tangible programs and development of an
Upper-Maumee Watershed Plan. Here are some sections directly relating to
watershed groups and work quoted directly from Plan-It-Allen
Our suggestions go hand in
hand with the Environmental Stewardship section of The Plan and large other
sections throughout. Plan-It Allen states in colored text, Save Maumee [SM]
states in black:
Environmental
Stewardship
A healthy, sustainable, and
enjoyable environment with clean air and water, greenways and open spaces for
residents, habitats for wildlife, protection from flooding, utilization of
rivers, protection of other environmental assets (farmland, woodlands and
wetlands), and promotion of a strong ethic among residents and businesses to
control pollution and support environmental stewardship efforts.
OBJECTIVE
ES1.
ENSURE THE CONSERVATION
OF SIGNIFICANT LAND RESOURCES,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, AGRICULTURAL LANDS, WOODLANDS AND WETLANDS.
Current development trends
have demonstrated the need to
protect open spaces in Allen
County and Fort Wayne, with
particular attention to valuable agricultural and natural
resources. Adoption of the
following strategies will help
to ensure the conservation
of agricultural landscapes,
woodlands, wetlands and
other natural greenspace.
SM - To
preserve our distinct and diverse community character, protecting green open
spaces can be accomplished WHILE improving riparian areas.
ES1.A Coordinate and combine existing maps and inventories
of agricultural, woodland and wetland areas. Identify areas of contiguous prime
soil, significant agricultural heritage and prime lands for targeted
conservation efforts.
Efforts to conserve agricultural
lands should be pursued in
a strategic manner, in part because
maintaining contiguous
agricultural lands is important to
the health of an agricultural
economy. Contiguous farmlands can
support a critical mass of
readily available agricultural
infrastructure, such as equipment
sale and repair, seeds and
fertilizer suppliers, without which an
agricultural community can become
increasingly difficult to
sustain. Continuity of farmland
also minimizes conflicts between
farming and nonfarming neighbors.
Agricultural, woodland and
wetland areas should be surveyed,
mapped, analyzed, noted for
agricultural heritage issues and
classified in order to identify
critical lands for targeted
conservation efforts.
SM – A
moratorium needs to be developed for zoning changes from agriculture to anything
else. Use what we HAVE instead of more urban sprawl. This theme has been found
throughout the entire Plan.
ES1.B
Continue stewardship efforts and identify areas for possible expansion of
contiguous forested and natural areas (such as the Cedar Creek corridor, Fox
Island Park, Eagle Marsh, Little Wabash River Corridor, Black Marsh, and other
environmentally significant areas).The
Cedar Creek watershed represents an important natural
corridor, and is designated
as an Indiana Natural, Scenic and
Recreational waterway. Fox Island
County Park contains a
nature preserve with diverse
marshes, wetlands, deciduous forests
and important wildlife habitats.
Allen County should continue
to work with local environmental
groups like the Fox Island
Alliance, ACRES Land Trust, St.
Joseph River Watershed
Initiative and the Cedar Creek
Wildlife Project to continue to
protect these important natural
areas.
SM - The Upper
Maumee Watershed Headwaters begins at the Fort Wayne Water Filtration Plant. Up
to 80% of a streams quality is inherited in its headwaters. Citizens are
concerned about the industrial area from the Maumee’s headwaters to New Haven.
More research is needed in this area to offset historic land use for industry,
large impervious surfaced lots and roads, Mercury storage, landfills,
underground leaking storage facilities, superfund sites. We need to coordinate
with other agencies, nonprofit organizations and landowners to promote the
continued viability of uses and lifestyles in Allen County while minimizing land
use conflicts with assets.
ES1.C
Investigate the value of adopting local wetland protection ordinances and
regulations.
Allen County and Fort Wayne should
consider the value of
adopting local wetland protection
ordinances and regulations in
order to preserve and mitigate
wetlands. These regulations may
St. Mary’s Rivers, Little River,
Cedar Creek, Aboite Creek, and
other floodplain/wetland areas.
SM – There are many sites
located on Indiana Map that are marked as wetland that have not yet been
developed. The future of wetland protection is important and needs to continue
to be protected from development.
ES1.D
Pursue wetlands restoration initiatives.
In many parts of the County,
native hydric soils are still in place
and represent an opportunity for
restoring some wetlands that
were previously drained. Allen
County and Fort Wayne should
collaborate with local
environmental organizations and the
Natural Resource Conservation
Service to target key areas for
wetlands restoration, particularly
those areas near critical wildlife
habitats along natural corridors
and in areas where wetland
restoration would result in
decreased flooding potential.
SM -
Identification of wetland areas and possible rezoning properties in the vicinity
of these uses to allow for possible future expansion areas for the wetlands;
meeting with community use leaders to identify existing barriers to continued
operations; and updating development regulations to carry out objectives that
are identified. This can also help with protecting wildlife habitats and
protected/endangered species.
OBJECTIVE
ES2. PROTECT WILDLIFE HABITATS AND LIMIT INVASIVE SPECIES.
Over time, human actions have transformed and degraded many
of the County’s original
natural habitats. Efforts should be made to
conserve and expand
remaining habitats in order to protect native
plant and animal species.
The following strategies recommend
ways to protect wildlife and their
habitats in Allen County.
SM - 85% of wetlands in
Indiana no longer exist, restoration practices will aid in replenishing wetland
species right here! When the ecosystem has a healthy balance of wildlife,
invasive species have less of a chance to flourish.
ES2.A
Collaborate with federal and state agencies and not-for-profit organizations in
the protection of endangered species.
The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, the Natural Resources
Conservation Service, and
the Indiana Department of Natural
Resources can serve as important
funding and technical assistance
resources in the identification and
protection of
the County’s endangered species. Allen County and Fort
Wayne should also enlist
assistance from local environmental
organizations, particularly
those involved in watershed initiatives,
to protect the area’s
unique aquatic ecosystems.
ES2.B Work
with local organizations to protect natural habitat areas, particularly along
linear riparian corridors and around critical aquatic communities.
Habitat corridors are
important environmental assets. Unlike
fragmented natural parcels, these
corridors allow animals to move
freely and plants to colonize more
successfully over a wider area.
Allen County, Fort Wayne, local
environmental groups, and land
trusts should collaborate to
protect and expand these critical
habitat areas through the
acquisition/protection of lands in and
adjacent to existing habitat
corridors. Particular attention should
be paid to rivers and streams in
Allen County, which are home
to unique aquatic communities that
host a variety of rare and
endangered mussels, amphibians, and
plant species.
ES2.C Work
with state and local partners to determine the types of invasive plant species
which should be discouraged in project planting plans.
In an effort to protect native
plant species in our region, local
planning and permitting agencies
should work with state and local
partners to determine types of
invasive plant species which should
be discouraged in project planting
plans for new development.
OBJECTIVE
ES3. PRESERVE AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF GROUNDWATER AND SURFACE WATER
RESOURCES. Water is a
vital resource that supports agriculture, industry,
household needs and
recreation opportunities. The following
strategies provide
recommendations for protecting the County’s
groundwater and surface
water resources. The Utilities Chapter
addresses a number of issues
related to the protection and
preservation of water resources.
SM – Through our educational
outreach programs assurance can be provided to improvements of groundwater and
surface water resources because the people will know proper ways to handle waste
from businesses and households. Through
suggested restoration practices surface and ground water will be improved.
Plantings will aid in combating siltation /erosion/sedimentation, which is the
#1 pollutant in our watershed. The grasses will help to settle out suspended
sediment in the water and trees will help to hold down the soil that could be
washed away because there is nothing to hold down the barren soil when the water
comes rushing down when it rains. Filtrating sediment by holding water for a
longer period of time has the ability to remove nutrients from the water before
it passes downstream. Plants produce enzymes, absorbing bacteria and “eating”
bacteria out of water. Natural removal of chemical pollutants like fertilizers
and waste materials removes nitrogen, phosphorous and toxins from surface water
and recharge ground water. Creating more shade also creates oxygen needed in
the water for fish and other wildlife helping with Dissolved Oxygen problems.
ES3.B
Support and collaborate in the establishment of watershed management plans that
recommends actions to address major sources of surface water contamination. Based on assessment
data from the Indiana Department of
Environmental Management (IDEM),
which was developed as
part of the Total Minimum Daily
Load (TMDL) for the St. Mary’s
and Maumee Rivers, the overall
quality of surface water in Allen
County can generally be described
as “good to fair.” However,
high levels of E. coli, nutrients,
PCBs, and mercury in fish have
been found in certain segments of
the County’s streams. IDEM has
designated these segments as
“impaired”. Watershed management
plans which also address
transported sediments may be developed,
using a stakeholder
involvement process, to address each of these
contaminants. Allen County
and Fort Wayne should collaborate
with local watershed management
groups, the Allen County-
Fort Wayne Board of Health, and
other stakeholders in the
consideration of these management
plans to address these surface
water contaminants.
SM - The St. Joseph
Watershed Initiative and St. Joseph River Basin Commission has developed St. Joe
Watershed Management Plan in Phase III. The St. Mary is being protected through
St. Mary’s River Watershed Project in phase II but there are no current
watershed management plans for the Upper Maumee in Indiana. Downstream, in
Ohio, the Maumee is a valued resource. In Indiana, the Maumee crosses the
political boundaries of; City of Fort Wayne, Allen County, and State of Indiana
boundaries, so it is viewed as someone else’s problem. An Upper Maumee Watershed
Management plan needs to be developed.
OBJECTIVE
ES4. PROTECT THE NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE FLOODPLAIN
MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES.
Over the years, Allen County’s
natural green infrastructure in
flood plains, and in the watershed
in general, have been lost to
development and agricultural uses.
As a consequence, floods
have become more damaging to both
the natural and built
environment. The following
strategies present recommendations
for managing floodplains and
restoring green infrastructure in a
manner that benefits both human and
ecological communities.
SM- Currently
the Maumee River Basin Commissioner, Rod Reinkenburger, is working on flood
control and purchasing floodplain lands for the city/county. His position is
consumed by flood control and is his primary focus, so other programs are not
being developed for the Maumee River Basin in Indiana.
ES4.A Using
the No Adverse Impact principle as a guide, develop a program to map
floodplains, track impacts of floods and enhance green infrastructure in
floodplains.
The No Adverse Impact management
principle supported by the
Indiana Association of Floodplain
and Storm water Managers
implies that any action taken by a
property owner should not
negatively affect the rights of
other property owners, as measured
in terms of flooding, erosion and
sedimentation. It also looks at
floodplain management from a
community-based perspective,
rather than relying upon
regulations imposed by FEMA. Allen
County, Fort Wayne, and local
watershed groups should use the
NAI principle to develop an
appropriate floodplain management
program. Initiatives may include
floodplain mapping, flood
tracking and monitoring,
introduction of riparian overlay districts,
wetlands restoration and the
restoration of green infrastructure
within floodplains.
SM - Floods can be
alleviated through the “wetland” type areas. Grassy knolls can capture, store
and slowly release water over a longer period of time. Plants will protect beach
and coast. The stalks will reduce destructive energy from fast moving and
rising water and the roots will be held in place. Plants will alleviate pools
of standing stagnant water so West Nile will not have the opportunity to be
passed in the mosquito population. West Nile is spread by mosquitoes that hatch
in standing pollution ridden water so by preventing standing water through plant
life, they have less of a chance to reproduce!
ES4.B
Consider tools, such as overlay districts along river basins and streams to
encourage the expansion of riparian buffers and enhance public access to
waterfronts.
Riparian zones surrounding rivers
and streams help filter
sediments and nutrients, and
mitigate the effects of storms and
flooding. Riparian buffers are also
aesthetically pleasing and
can lend themselves to recreation
opportunities in the form of
greenways and trails. The forested
corridors that were originally
found along waterways throughout
the County have been greatly
diminished to meet agricultural,
development and drainage
needs. Allen County and Fort Wayne
should collaborate with
watershed partners to develop plans
for limiting development
along waterways, restoring and
protecting riparian corridors,
and enhancing public access to
waterfronts. The Fort Wayne
River Green Way Overlay District,
as well as the local floodplain
ordinances, serve as an exemplary
tool for defining and protecting
riparian zones, mitigating flooding
impacts, and improving human
access to waterways. Similar
overlay districts may be applied along
rivers and streams throughout the
County.
SM – Between the Maumee
headwaters and New Haven the primary land use is institutional (Board of Public
Works) and industrial land uses. There are large impervious surfaces, NPDES,
landfills, superfund sites, that all lie within the floodplain. Since this
section of the plan is encouraging expansion of riparian buffers and enhancing
public access to waterfronts, all our ideas are in line with Plan-It Allen!
ES4.C Provide education to the public about the natural
benefits, protection and restoration of floodplain and wetland areas, and the
laws pertaining to floodplain development.
Educate the public through
the provision of information,
publications and other materials
about the natural benefits of
floodplains and wetlands, how to
protect and restore floodplain
and wetland areas and the federal,
state and local ordinances
which pertain to floodplain
development.
OBJECTIVE
CI1. RENEW, PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE RIVERS AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT WATERWAYS THAT
DEFINE THE REGION.
The St. Joseph, St. Mary’s and
Maumee Rivers, and waterways
associated with the Wabash River
corridor such as the Little River, define the
natural landscape in Fort Wayne and Allen
County, They have played a
significant role in the historical
growth and development of the
County. These natural features
also play an important role in
tying the City and County
together. Unfortunately, the rivers
also suffer from periodic
pollution, a general lack of
visibility, and are fairly inaccessible
from the standpoint of
passive and active recreation opportunities.
Particular attention should
be placed on waterways to protect
them as significant components of
the natural and cultural
environment.
SM - “Periodic pollution” in
the Maumee/St. Joe Rivers in Indiana
- E. Coli. and bacteria
from combined sewer overflows, geese, cattle and pig farms.
- Mercury content is one
of the highest in the state between Maumee headwaters and New Haven
- Concrete grinding
facility is on the south bank of the Maumee, with potential asbestos
particles being disbursed from old concrete. This facility approximately
75ft. from Maumee River.
- PBC’s, heavy metals
Mercury from large corporations, and factories stemming all the way from the
rust belt time of 1920’s 30’s 40’s and 50’s and the Maumee continues to be a
dump site in 2008. There are scattered landfills throughout the floodplain.
- 249 active NPDES
permitted dischargers and 44 CSO discharge points in the St. Joseph/Maumee
watershed.
- “46803 Lung Cancer
Zone” (Journal Gazette, 2007) runs next to the Maumee in our area of
interest
- Many point source and
stormwater pipes exist
- Combined Sewer
Overflows continue to discharge on average 71 times per year. (if it rains
1/10th inch – they discharge)
- Local
County health departments and other stakeholders have identified failing
septic systems and straight pipe discharge from septic tanks as significant
sources of water pollution
- “Severety ranking of
high” for Fish Consumption Advisories.
- Leaking underground
storage tanks scatter the Maumee (over 50 sites just a few hundred feet from
river at its ordinary water-mark)
- Illegal point source
discharges such as tiles discharging septic tank effluent that exist in our
watershed.
- Lead and pesticides
(like Atrizine) detected
- River Haven has two
Super-Fund Sites which the EPA considered one of the top 1,100 most
contaminated sites in the USA.
- Fish Consumption
Advisories for all of the Maumee /St. Joseph Watershed
- Dissolved Oxygen
Problems – Life in the waters can’t breathe!
- Habitat Alterations
- Organic Enrichment is
LOW
CI1.A
Collaborate with an array of community partners to improve water quality and
enhance rivers, streams, corridors and watershed areas.
National organizations such
as the Natural Resources
Conservation Service and local
groups such as the St. Joseph
River Watershed Initiative can help
monitor progress and
suggest methods for protecting the
County’s rivers. Attention
to nonpoint source pollution (such
as runoff), enhancements
to riparian buffers, and revisions
to land use policies can all
contribute to creating healthier
rivers and protecting important
natural resources.
CI1.B Improve public access to rivers and waterfronts.
Allen County and Fort Wayne
should collaborate with parks and
recreation departments and other
stakeholders who are interested
in improving public access to
waterfronts and rivers. These
groups should identify locations
for creating boat launches and
docking areas, and examine
opportunities for enhancing trails and
greenways along riverfronts.
CI1.C
Investigate downtown river development and vistas.
A public/private effort
should be developed to clean and improve
the three rivers that
converge in downtown Fort Wayne, in
particular the St. Mary’s river.
This endeavor requires a complex
and multifaceted strategy,
including: structural improvements
(to improve water quality and
regulate water levels); visual
improvements (to clean up banks and
thin overgrown areas
to improve visibility between
downtown and the river), and
an investigation of appropriate
development to increase
activities along the river. The
effort should include not-for-profit
organizations, environmental groups
and government in
partnership with the private sector.
OBJECTIVE
UL1. ENSURE COOPERATIVE DECISION MAKING AND UNIFORM STANDARDS FOR PROTECTING
WATER QUALITY THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
Water resources are interjurisdictional in nature.
Groundwater
and surface water flow freely between jurisdictions, as do
various
contaminants and stormwater runoff. Therefore, solutions
to protecting water quality
should be interjurisdictional
and cooperative in nature. The
following strategies provide
recommendations for addressing
water quality issues in a
cooperative manner.
UL1.A
Consider a collaborative water quality partnership among local governments,
stakeholders and utility providers.
Allen County and Fort Wayne should
continue to work with the
St. Joseph Watershed Initiative and
all water-utility providers to
identify opportunities for
collaboration. A regional or countywide
water-utility partnership
could be created, which could
explore the possibilities for
coordinating utility services and
developing cooperative funding
mechanisms.
OBJECTIVE
UL4. IMPROVE AND EXPAND SANITARY SEWER SYSTEMS WITHIN THE CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT
MAP AREAS.
The following strategies provide
recommendations for monitoring,
improving and expanding sanitary
sewers in Allen County and Fort Wayne.
UL4.A
Encourage improvements to existing sewer systems to resolve sewer overflows.
Combined sewer overflows
(CSOs) and sanitary sewer overflows
(SSOs) represent a major threat to
water quality, environmental
quality and public health. Overflow
and discharge data should
be tracked on a regular basis to
identify areas in need of priority
intervention.
UL4.B
Maximize capacity of existing systems by promoting infill development.
Infill and redevelopment
within areas that are already served by
a larger sewer-utility
provider (i.e. the City of Fort Wayne, Aqua
Indiana, and the City of New
Haven, the City of Woodburn and
the Town of Monroeville) will help
to maximize the capacity
of existing systems and minimize
the need for additional
infrastructure investments.
UL4.C
Provide direction for the exploration of alternative sewage-processing methods.
Alternative means for the
processing of sewage should be
investigated such as the
utilization of wetland clusters. Other
nontraditional methods may provide
cost effective ways to
accommodate the processing of
sewage where traditional means
are unavailable or too costly.
UL4.D
Discourage development on conventional septic systems.
Soils in Allen County are
generally poorly suited to accommodate
conventional septic systems. This
is of particular concern to the
northern part of Allen County where
a large concentration of
septic systems could generate high
E. coli levels.
UL4.E
Discourage on-site wastewater package treatment facilities.
On-site wastewater package
treatment facilities have been
a concern in Allen County due to
the lack of long-term
maintenance of these facilities.
One objective of the planning
process has been to address the
existing on-site wastewater
disposal problems in the County and
prevent reoccurrence in
the future. The proposed
application of new, more restrictive
standards for soil testing and
design of leach fields by the Indiana
Department of Environmental
Management and the State Board
of Health may mean fewer septic
systems in the future. Where
future individual on-site
wastewater disposal systems can be
utilized, an approach must be
applied that ensures proper longterm
functioning.
OBJECTIVE
UL5. WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND OTHER AGENCIES TO PROTECT AND
ENHANCE DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS.
While the majority of drinking
water for Fort Wayne is supplied
by the St. Joseph River, most
residents outside of Fort Wayne
rely on groundwater resources to
meet their drinking water
needs. Strategies for protecting
and enhancing drinking water in
Allen County and Fort Wayne must
address both groundwater
and surface-water supply systems.
The protection of drinking
water systems is also enhanced by
discouraging development on
conventional septic systems and
discouraging on-site wastewater
package treatment facilities, as
noted in Objective UL4.
SM – There is increased cost
as consumers pay to heavily treat city water. We want to protect the health of
future generations through protecting our natural resources.
UL5.B
Expand and enhance initiatives to protect the St. Joseph, Wabash and Maumee
River watersheds.
The St. Joseph River provides most
of the drinking water for
Fort Wayne. In the mid-1990s, after
tap water samples were
discovered to contain nine
different herbicides, concerned
citizens and stakeholders formed
the St. Joseph River Watershed
Initiative to promote better water
quality. Fort Wayne and
Allen County should collaborate
with this organization and
other watershed groups to identify
and reduce pollution sources,
expand green infrastructure that
helps to filter contaminants,
and encourage appropriate land
use and development guidelines
that will reduce river
contamination.
UL5.C Work
with local groups to educate the public about practices to protect groundwater
and river water in order to maintain drinking-water quality.
Throughout the County, many
suburban and rural residents
obtain their drinking water through
wells and dispose of their
waste through septic systems. Allen
County and Fort Wayne
should undertake measures to
educate the public about ways to
maintain clean and well-functioning
water and septic systems.
They should also collaborate with
local environmental groups
such as the St. Joseph River
Watershed Initiative in order to
develop messages that inform the
public about what they can do
to protect the County’s rivers and
streams.
OBJECTIVE
UL6. ENHANCE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT AND DRAINAGE SYSTEMS.
Stormwater and drainage
patterns are determined by natural
and topographic features, rather
than jurisdictional boundaries.
Therefore cross-jurisdictional,
interagency cooperation is
imperative to meet stormwater and
drainage needs. The
following strategies outline recommendations for pursuing
cooperative strategies in
regulating stormwater management and
drainage systems.
UL6.A
Consider a partnership to coordinate stormwater management on a Countywide
basis.
The City of Fort Wayne operates a
public stormwater utility
that is based on user fees and
regulates more than 600 miles of
sewer lines, ditches, channels and
drains. This utility should
collaborate with other stormwater
authorities in Allen County to create a
partnership that will monitor stormwater and
drainage issues throughout
the County to ensure that existing
systems are meeting the public’s
needs and protecting the
environment.
UL6.B
Ensure uniform standards for stormwater management and drainage systems.
Stormwater management
techniques are often referred to as best
management practices (BMPs).
Allen County and Fort Wayne
should continue to publish and
distribute descriptive guidelines
on the practices that they would
like to promote throughout the
region via the Allen County
Stormwater Technical Standards
Manual. All new proposals for
development and infrastructure
should be required to include plans
for stormwater management
using BMPs to mitigate adverse
impacts to the environment.
To put this information together
it took about 150 stakeholders and two years of input into the process to
develop the strategic plan for the future of Allen County. We have the
framework outlined as to importance in moving forward. Everyone in the entire
watershed will benefit from plans for watershed initiatives and water quality
improvements. Many look forward to walking the path that has been chosen by
PLAN-IT-ALLEN!
THANK YOU to all the people who
has positively influenced plan intensions. Betsy Yankowiak has suggested
possible expansion for several areas like Cedar Creek corridors, Eagle Marsh,
Little Wabash River Corridor, Black Marsh and Fox Island to adopt local
protection ordinances and regulations. County Commissioner Nelson Peters and
Councilman Bill Brown addressed federally funding loans to rehabilitate houses (brownfields)
and made sure there were allocated funding for assessment, remediation and
redevelopment. Everyone is proud of the fact we are trying to secure the
movement toward renewable energy and efficiency. We are looking forward to green
building technologies and community informational and educational materials to
be held to the highest LEED standards.
Everyone is looking forward to a
watershed initiative that has the full support of the local city, county,
planners, citizens and ALL of us who live downstream! Thank you to all, for the
development of this plan! Save Maumee would like to improve our rivers in
Indiana and beyond, with specific plans. With Plan-It Allen put in place, it
will allow for riparian areas to be expanded and protected. “Only when the
recommendations in the Plan are translated into actions can the goals and
policies within the Plan be realized.” (Plan-It Allen 2007) So YOU wrote it,
let’s DO it!
Check out
PlanYourCommunity.Org
for details
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