Introducing...  Save Maumee

Save Maumee Grassroots Organization was formed to create awareness about the conditions of the three rivers in Fort Wayne, Indiana, while also facilitating ecosystem restoration projects to help the entire Great Lakes Watershed. Ultimately, we attempt to repair and improve the St. Joe, St. Mary, and Maumee Rivers while working to reverse years of pollution.  Revitalizing the St. Joe/Maumee Watershed  will protect and restore the environment, while improving the economic, aesthetic and recreational value of the rivers. We are organizing projects that place a high priority on erosion control techniques to help with erosion/sedimentation to restore the rivers with a positive environmental impact.  We focus on the Maumee because the St. Joe and the St. Mary's come together to form the Maumee - the largest and longest contributing stream to the Great Lakes in the United States!

Why we care?

• Reminiscence about The Three Rivers Festival Raft Race and Johnny Appleseed Park Beach that are no longer appropriate due to pollution.

• Beach front property was purchased, 250 feet from the banks of the Maumee River, it was full of garbage and eroding soil. I wanted to know if our family could swim in the river....  everywhere else we have gone in the United States, we can swim in the rivers!

• We began research in 2001 to find out what was wrong with our three rivers in The Summit City - We thought we would share our findings with YOU!

Things Save Maumee Wants you to know:

The rivers of Fort Wayne have historically been an economic and life-sustaining natural resource readily available to the city.  Decades of misuse and neglect have put the quality of our waterways in jeopardy.  Hazardous and sanitary waste landfills, sewage discharges, toxic industrial discharges, and other forms of pollution in addition to degradation and destruction of natural landscapes, continue to affect the quality of one of the city's greatest natural assets.  Through careful research and examination, Save Maumee has discovered many practices that have and continue to put the health of our rivers and our families at risk. 

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems

                 In 2002 there were 249 active permits to discharge pollution legally into open water through NPDES permits and seven of those were for major discharges totaling over 1 million gallons/day.   Currently, IndianaMap GIS & City/County GIS websites do not appear to have accurate accounts of legal permitted discharges available (Save Maumee Grassroots Org., 11/11/09).  Fort Wayne lists 38 significant industrial contributors that are discharging contaminates to all three rivers legally (St. Joe/Maumee Watershed Restoration Strategy; 2002 pg. 19). The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) grants these legal permits and levies fines when companies and corporations violate Indiana regulations.  But, questionable decisions have led to public outcry over lax discipline measures when enforcing standards.  See  more. Save Maumee is working to decrease this number and increase the health of our rivers!

Combined Sewer Overflow

Another problem that is degrading the quality of our rivers is the dated sewer system in desperate need of replacement.  Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO), once seen as an efficient means of collecting storm water runoff, sewer discharge, and industrial waste, often overflow directly into the rivers.  This  can occur when as little as 0.1 inches of rain falls- on average this occurs 71 times per year in Fort Wayne, in 2006 it was  happening on average every 2.4 days. The result of these overflows is nearly one billion gallons of raw sewage being dumped into the rivers annually leading to a significant increase in E. coli levels in the waterways.  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 in the St. Joseph/Maumee watershed. Straight pipe discharges  from septic tanks and septic tanks connected to drainage tiles are illegal (327 IAC 51-1.5); however, these practices still exist in the St. Joseph/Maumee watershed. ("Watershed Restoration Action Strategy for the St. Joseph/Maumee Watershed" p.11).  The City of Fort Wayne does have a Long Term Control Plan in place to separate the sewers and increase storage capacity and treatment, but this will not restore the degraded ecosystems along the rivers.  Not to mention it is costly (nearly $240 million) and will take time to complete (this is a 17 year plan).

Contributing Factors

Until the late 1800s, Indiana's landscape looked much different than it does today.  Instead of cornfields and shopping plazas, thousands of acres of wetlands covered the landscape.  Wetlands, considered "nature's kidneys," play a vital role in the quality of our water systems.  Nearly 25,000 acres of wetlands once covered Allen and Huntington counties (known as the Great Marsh), but most of that has been drained for development.  Most of the forested river corridors in Allen County have been removed as well.   Statewide, 87% of wetlands in Indiana no longer exist. Although reclamation projects have been working to restore these vital habitats, past destruction of the wetlands contributes to the decrease in the quality of our water systems today.

Accountability

Companies in Indiana have not been held accountable for pollution even after the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972! Senate Bill 620 passed in 2005 and is allowing companies a variance from pollution standards. This bill allows permits for legal dumping into CSO's until the Senate bill terms in 2010. This means companies in Indiana have been unaccountable since 1972 when the Clean Water Act was passed! Theoretically, it is illegal to discharge into rivers. New legislation is beginning, please write your representatives and tell them you do not approve of past mistakes.  Every small step toward improving water quality is a benefit to all!

History of Neglect

In 1984 the U.S. Environmental Agency closed the Fort Wayne Reduction   Landfill because it found 91 hazardous chemicals were leaking into the ground and "spilled” into the Maumee River. See More about this site.

The Adams Center Landfill is a Superfund Site that was found to be one of the most contaminated sites in the United States. It is a 35 acre area that was once used as both a sanitary and hazardous landfill on the south bank of the Maumee in River Haven. This area was annexed by the city of Fort Wayne and is now considered  remediated.

 A limited liability corporation (LLC) is dumping salvaged concrete from roadwork on a previous floodplain which they are filling in with dirt and the old concrete. This old concrete contains asbestos, a well-known cancer causing agent.  The company breaks up and grinds the concrete to reuse it, producing a dust that is easily transported through the air landing in the rivers, on our playgrounds, and in our backyards.  This LLC has also moved dirt into this area in an effort to keep their equipment out of flood-prone areas.  This operation exists in the 46803 area of Fort Wayne, which already experience increased levels of cancers as noted by the Journal Gazette.  In addition, a company in the same area near the Maumee River leaked toxic chemicals into the ground near homes and a school further increasing adverse health affects to this community (find Journal Gazette article here.)

 Emily Tallo, a local 7th grade student at Canterbury, tested our river waters for a science fair experiment. Her tests found that there are increased levels of toxic substances, bacteria, heavy metals, and pesticides in all three rivers. The St. Mary's River, which runs along side Head Waters Park, was found to have levels of ammonia lethal to aquatic species and nitrate/nitrite levels that violated EPA standards. The St. Joe was the cleanest however its oxygen levels were too low at some points, as with the Maumee, meaning it cannot sustain all types of fish. Emily’s science fair experiment made regional and won first in environmental sciences category.

Success

Upper Maumee Watershed Group formed in July, 2009!
Save Maumee represented as one vote among many for your waterways! Join Us -
www.uppermaumeewatershed.com 
This group will write a watershed management plan for our area.
Call or email to get involved!

Ron Reinkenberger, Maumee River Basin Commissioner, made sure Southtown Mall project was being held to EPA legal standards of detention ponds for discharges. Fort Wayne Board of Public Works originally waived these EPA requirements claiming, “We are more interested in economic development.” Thank you City of Fort Wayne for changing this! All standards are now being met!

Read Our Past Accomplishments Page - Success from Grassroots UP!

Save Maumee has joined forces with Federal, State and Local Officials through the Upper Maumee Watershed Group to assist in a watershed management plan since the Maumee in Indiana is considered a "low priority" stream although most people living in cities downstream are drinking this water. There should still be coordination with other active watershed groups to improve our precious renewable resource and begin revitalization. River restoration is a necessity, not a luxury. U.S. citizens depend on the services that healthy streams and rivers provide.
Let's all join together! Please invest in Natural Capital!
Please email Abigail Frost or call (260) 417-2500 if you have any questions or comments.
 

Want to know more? Check out the Free Downloads menu to the left. 

• For our online brochure click Save Maumee Brochure
   
• For our current Washington D.C. Fact Sheet Jan. 2010