West Central Indiana Watershed Alliance (WCIWA)

The West Central Indiana Watershed Alliance (WCIWA) is dedicated to working with local stakeholders and partners to plan, promote, research, and implement conservation strategies in watershed project areas while also educating the general public about environmental stewardship and improving regional water quality. 

The WCIWA works with multiple groups on a variety of initiatives. If you would like to learn more about a particular WCIWA-managed watershed project, please contact us or view the WCIWA website with the link down below.

What is a watershed?

A watershed is an area of land that drains or “sheds” water into a specific waterbody. Every body of water has a watershed. Watersheds drain rainfall and snowmelt into streams and rivers. These smaller bodies of water flow into larger ones, including lakes, bays, and oceans. Gravity helps to guide the path that water takes across the landscape. In Sullivan County, the majority of our watersheds drain into the Wabash River.

Not all rain or snow that falls on a watershed flows out in this way. Some seeps into the ground. It goes into underground reservoirs called aquifers. Other precipitation ends up on hard surfaces such as roads and parking lots, from which it may enter storm drains that feed into streams.

What is a 319 Grant?

Clean Water Act Section 319(h) funds are provided only to designated state and tribal agencies to implement their approved nonpoint source management programs. State and tribal nonpoint source programs include a variety of components, including technical assistance, financial assistance, education, training, technology transfer, demonstration projects, and regulatory programs. Each year, EPA awards Section 319(h) funds to states in accordance with a state-by-state allocation formula that EPA has developed in consultation with the states.

Current 319/Watershed Projects On-Going

Maria/No-Business Creek Watershed:The ‘MNBC’ project refers to the Maria Creek and No Business Creek watersheds situated primarily in northwestern Knox County and southern Sullivan County. These two combined watersheds include 89,061 acres. This project is currently in the ‘Planning’ phase of a 4-year 319 Planning & Implementation grant, which started in December 2020 and will conclude in 2024. IDEM 319 funding for this grant amounts to $388,500 (with $160,000 earmarked for cost-share funds) with a match/in-kind commitment of $259,000. The first two years of this grant project will be spent gathering information about baseline water quality from various sources including a recent IDEM TMDL study of Maria Creek, stakeholder and Advisory Committee input, collected water samples, and desktop modeling. Once critical areas are selected and the MNBC Watershed Management Plan is approved by IDEM and EPA, the ‘Implementation’ phase (e.g. cost-share) can begin. Stakeholders interested in joining the MNBC Advisory Committee or learning more about future cost-share opportunities and events are encouraged to contact the Sullivan County Soil & Water Conservation District and/or the 319 Watershed Coordinator for more information.

Cost-Share Projects Implemented from 319 Grants

With 319 Grant money, Cost-Share can be given to producers and landowners located in the watershed. With these funds we are able to help install short-term vegetative practices, long-term vegetative practices, livestock practices, reduced nutrient and tillage programs, precision ag equipment and structural practices.*

Contact Us

Laura Demarest, Watershed Coordinator

laura@watershed-alliance.org Cell Phone: (812) 564-1162

*Dependent on area and conservation needs in that particular watershed. Funding based on government grants.