This agreement is to fund the state of indiana's water quality management planning program to improve impaired water and protect unimpaired waters across the state by conducting planning that…

This EPA Region 5 Formula Grant under the Water Quality Management Planning program (CFDA 66.454) provides $805,000 to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to fund water quality planning and monitoring activities across the state. The key activities include:

• Monitoring for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Indiana fish tissue
• Developing watershed management plans for the Upper East Fork Whitewater River and Mill Creek
• Conducting monitoring projects on the Ohio River, Kankakee River, and Wabash River to track harmful algal blooms, nutrient levels, and other water quality parameters

IDEM is passing through a portion of the grant funding to sub-recipients such as the USGS, Hendricks County SWCD, and Wayne County SWCD to deliver specific monitoring and planning services. The anticipated outcomes include the creation of approved watershed management plans, early warning systems for harmful algal blooms, and enhanced monitoring of emerging contaminants like PFAS.

This agreement is to fund the state of indiana's water quality management planning program to improve impaired water and protect unimpaired waters across the state by conducting planning that informs and supports implementation of clean water act programs. Unless a waiver request is approved by EPA, the recipient will jointly develop workplans with and passthrough at least 40% of funding to regional or interstate watershed management planning agencies. Activities:the activities to be performed include the following water quality management planning activities: task a. The state of indiana will monitor for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in indiana fish tissue. Task b. The state of indiana will fund the production of two (2) watershed management plans. 1.) upper east fork whitewater river watershed management plan and 2.) mill creek watershed management plan. Task c. The state of indiana will fund three (3) monitoring projects. 1.) the monitoring of harmful algal blooms on the ohio river. 2.) continuous monitoring super gage at the kankakee river at shelby, indiana. 3.) extension of the nutrient super gage at the wabash river at new harmony, indiana with continuous total algal fluorescence monitoring.subrecipient:the state of indiana will fund the production of two watershed management plans: 1.) upper east fork whitewater river watershed management plan and 2.) mill creek watershed management plan. The state of indiana will also fund three monitoring projects: 1.) the monitoring of harmful algal blooms on the ohio river. 2.) continuous monitoring super gage at the kankakee river at shelby, indiana. 3.) extension of the nutrient super gage at the wabash river at new harmony, indiana with continuous total algal fluorescence monitoring.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include wmps created and approved by both idem and EPA for mill creek and upper east fork whitewater river; continuous monitoring data - identifying changes in phycocyanin, chlorophyll-a, PH, do, and temperature; PFAS monitoring in fish tissue at 40-60 sites in the ohio river tributaries and great lakes basins, and lake michigan. The expected outcomes include: watershed management plans created, public water supplies along the ohio river forewarned of harmful algal blooms, monitoring of emerging contaminants. The intended beneficiaries include community members across the state of indiana.