According to the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, 36 counties in Indiana were designated disaster areas due to extreme crop and livestock losses.
In August this year, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce published the water study “Modernizing the State’s Approach to a Critical Resource.” The report calls for both the conservation and management of ?water.
Geoscience and engineering firm INTERA produced the study in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce. Kevin Brinegar, CEO and president of the Chamber, worked collaboratively with INTERA’s principal hydrogeologist Dr. Jack Wittman, along with a variety of legislative and business representatives from around the state.
The report suggests tracking how much water the state has in aquifers and reservoirs.
“We need to do a better job of monitoring the resources that we have,” Wittman said. “We need to do this. It’s not really an option in my opinion.”
According to the report, tracking water supplies, conserving the resource and expanding through water infrastructure can make all the difference for Indiana’s future.
“Water infrastructure like pipelines, dams and wellfields, all the things that you need if you want to increase your supply, they take decades to build,” Wittman said.
Indiana has a law on the books regarding water management, the 1983 Water Resources Management Act. However, Wittman said that 30 years later it is in need of improvement.
“The conservation recommendations in the law could be updated to make conservation a requirement,” he added.
While the entire state of Indiana will be affected by potential water shortages and droughts, certain areas of the state will be affected disproportionately, Brinegar said.
“In central Indiana the population is projected to grow by 200,000 residents between now and the year 2040,” he added.
A population surge such as this will lead to an increase the region’s dependency on adequate water supplies.
The Chamber’s report is in part a preliminary step to combat the state’s future water needs.
“We want to be able to continue to market Indiana’s water supply as a positive for economic development and attract more businesses and jobs,” Brinegar said. “The Chamber is an organization that focuses on trying to grow jobs and expand businesses to improve quality of life here in Indiana.”
The state has already begun moving toward a conservation plan. With the Monroe Reservoir nearby, a clean and abundant source of water, Bloomington is widely regarded as one of the most well-prepared regions.
“Bloomington really needs to be a leader and illustrate how to take advantage of this amazing abundance that we have,” Wittman said. “My hope is that Bloomington uses this supply to attract new businesses to this area of the state.”
The Chamber’s report presents a call to action for the rest of the state.
“We need to think about the future, get out of the past and look forward,” Wittman said. “I want this state to have a reason for young people to stay here.”
