White River Featured in The Indianapolis Star

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The Indianapolis Star has focused on the White River in a series of in-depth articles on pollution, its impacts on the river and the hope for a cleaner future. Read the articles here.

Did you know?

• While it is generally safe to boat on the White River, swimming should be avoided.
• While catch and release fishing is fine, if you want to eat the fish you catch, you should follow the Fish Consumption Advisories for all fish caught from Indiana water bodies.
• Storm water runoff is one of the sources of pollution to the White River. How can you help reduce that pollution?
  • Pick up your dog poop! Animal (and human) poop contribute to the presence of E. Coli in the water.
  • Don’t feed geese or other wild birds. Feeding geese causes overpopulation, adding to the poop problem, as geese can produce up to two to three pounds of waste per day!
  • Install rain barrels to catch rain water to use on gardens or lawns.
  • Install a rain garden to allow more rainwater infiltration – much better at trapping water than a hard surface or standard lawn.
  • Use permeable surfaces for driveways or parking lots. These can include gravel or permeable concrete. This reduces the amount of runoff generated and lets more rainwater enter the soils beneath where it is needed.
  • Use less fertilizer on your lawns – runoff from fertilized lawns adds nitrogen and phosphorus to the White River, which can cause algal blooms and prove toxic to some animals.
  • Use alternatives to fertilizers such as mulched lawn clippings. Instead of bagging grass clippings, most lawn mowers have an option to mulch them into the lawn as you mow – instant, natural fertilizer that saves you money!