Water Resources Of Porter County, Indiana
WAT-7Water Resources of Porter County, IndianaAuthors:IntroductionJane R. Frankenberger and Natalie Carroll,Department of Agricultural and BiologicalEngineeringWater is a vital resource for all citizens of Porter County.Water is essential for agriculture and industry, as wellas for recreation and drinking. A healthy environmentand economy require clean water and healthywatersheds. Porter County has an area of 425 squaremiles or 272,000 acres. Its population is approximately145,000 people.ChicagoUpperMaumeeAuglaizeUpper GreatMiamiVermillionLow GreatMiamiThis publication gives basic information about surfaceand ground water resources of Porter County anddiscusses human activities that may be affecting them.Many sources of information were used in preparingthis publication. All sources, along with dates for thestatistics and numbers presented, are listed on the lastpage of this publication under “Sources ofInformation.” The reader is encouraged to refer to thesesources for further information.Porter County Streams andWatershedsA watershed is a region of land that drains into a lake,stream, or river. Watersheds are important becauseeverything done on the land within a watershed canaffect the lake or river into which it drains.BusseroncSilverLittle KentuckyPorter CountyFigure 1. Major Watersheds of Indiana. Porter County isin the Calumet (Lake Michigan) and KankakeeRiver Watersheds.The quality of our water is affected not only by whatmight be dumped in the river, but by everything we doon the land in the watershed.Porter County crosses two major watersheds of NorthAmerica. The northern part of the county is in the GreatLakes watershed, which flows east to the Atlantic Ocean.The southern part of the county is in the MississippiRiver watershed, which flows west and south to theGulf of Mexico (see Figure 1).Most of the Lake Michigan Watershed in Porter Countyflows through the Little Calumet River which originatesin LaPorte County and drains into Lake Michiganthrough Burns Ditch in northwest Porter County. Itsmajor tributary is Salt Creek. Figure 2 shows a map ofPorter County with the major roads, towns, andwaterbodies.
123456781234567812345678The southern part of the county is drained by manyditches and streams that flow into the Kankakee River.The natural drainage in this area has been augmentedthrough the installation of an extensive network ofditches and field tile. The Kankakee River itself wasdredged and straightened in the early 1900’s.Discharge for a stream or river is the volume of waterflowing per unit of time. A typical unit for measuringdischarge is cubic feet per second (cfs). Gaugingstations measure discharge continuously in a stream orriver and are run by the U.S. Geological Survey in PorterCounty. Gauging stations are located in the LittleCalumet River at Porter, Burns Ditch at Portage, andthe Kankakee River near Kouts. The monthly averagedischarge for two of these streams is shown in Figure3. Highest flows generally occur February through Aprilwhile low flows usually occur August through October,a pattern typical for most streams in Indiana. However,maximum daily flows can vary widely due to floodingand droughts.140Discharge b DitchLittle Calumet RiverFigure 3. Average monthly discharge for two PorterCounty Rivers.Floodplains are low areas adjacent to river or streamchannels. Floodplains exist because river channels arerarely large enough to contain major floods. These areashave flooded in the past and will flood again.Floodplains have been delineated for Porter County bythe Federal Emergency Management Agency. A generalmap of floodplains is shown in Figure 4. The PorterCounty Surveyor and the Natural ResourcesConservation Service (NRCS) Office have maps thatshow detailed boundaries of floodplains, which shouldbe reviewed before planning any development in anidentified floodplain.Figure 2: Porter County Streams and Watersheds.2
Porter County PrecipitationThe average yearly precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, andhail) in Porter County is approximately 40 inches.Precipitation is relatively constant throughout the year,as shown in Figure 5. The bars show average monthlyprecipitation, while the lines show the 20% wettest anddriest year expected.7Precipitation (inches)6543210Jan.MarchMayAverage PrecipitationJulySept.Nov.Dry YearWet YearFigure 5. Average monthly precipitation inPorter County.Figure 4: 100 Year FloodplainsIndividual storms can cause flooding, so precipitationrecords over many years have been analyzed to assessthe probability of storms of a certain size occurring.Precipitation probability for a single storm is generallyexpressed in terms of a return period, which means theexpected number of years between storms of a givensize. A “5-year storm” has a 20% chance of occurringin any one year, so it is likely to occur about every 5years, on the average. However, it is possible for a 5year storm to occur many years in a row or even severaltimes in a single year. A 100-year storm has a 1%chance of occurring in any year. The 100-year storm isparticularly important, because the area that is expectedto be flooded by the 100-year storm is generallyconsidered to be the “floodplain” mapped in Figure 4.Figure 6 shows the expected 24 hour rainfall for PorterCounty for various return periods.Porter County Lakes and WetlandsThere are many lakes in Porter County, both naturaland man-made. The larger lakes include Lake Michigan,Lake Eliza, Lake Louise, Big Bass Lake, Clear Lake,Holiday Lake, Sager Lake, Flint Lake, Loomis Lake,Spectacle Lake, Long Lake, Canada Lake, Moss Lake,and Wauhob Lake.Porter County has about18,000 acres of wetlandsincluding about 10,000forested acres. In the 1700’s,much of northern Indianawas wetlands and marshes.Today approximately 6.6 %of Porter County acreage iswetland habitat. Wetlandshelp maintain the quality ofsurface and ground water byremoving potential pollutantssuch as sediments, nutrients, and pesticides from thewater. Wetlands provide habitat for wetland flora andfauna. Also, wetlands provide aesthetics, recreationsuch as hunting and fishing, and reduction in peak floodlevels.8Rain Amounts (inches)7654321The Lake Michigan shoreline is a major asset to PorterCounty. Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake that liesentirely within the United States. Lake Michigan hasan average natural depth of 279 feet and holds 22% ofthe total volume of the Great Lakes.01 year5 year25 year100 yearReturn PeriodFigure 6: Expected 24 hour rainfall (inches).(from the Midwestern Climate Center Bulletin, #71)3
Each system must identify the area surrounding theirwellhead (the wellhead protection area) where possiblecontaminants could reach the groundwater supply,identify potential sources of contamination within thisarea, and develop a management plan to minimize riskfrom these sources. Some examples of potential sourcesof contamination include fuel storage tanks, fertilizersand pesticides, septic systems, landfills, and industrialchemicals. For more information, contact your publicwater supplier, the Indiana Department ofEnvironmental Management, or Purdue Extension (see“Sources of Information”).Porter County Water UsePorter County citizens and industry use water for manypurposes. The largest water use in Porter County isfor industry, and the second is thermoelectric(NISOURCE Power). The third is for domesticpurposes, which include water in homes for drinking,washing, flushing toilets, and watering gardens.Approximately 60% of all wastewater comes frombathroom usage.Table 1 shows how home wastewater is generated.ActionToilet FlushingTub BathShower (10 min)LaundryDishwashing By HandDishwashingBy MachineBrushing TeethHand WashingShavingAverge Water Usage (Gallons)Standard630 (half full)5050 (whole units)16 (faucet rinse)Public water systems test drinking water for a numberof contaminants including:Conservative1.5-315 (quarter full)2540 (newer units)6 (basin rinse) volatile organic compounds such as gasoline orsolvents pesticides and other synthetic organic compounds lead, nitrate, and other inorganic substances microbial contaminants such as bacteria12-15 (older rinse)6-9 (newer units)2 (water running)2 (water running)3-5 (water running)1/8 (turn off faucet)1 (basin/brief rinse)1 (basin/brief rinse)Information on contaminant levels found in your tapwater is available from your water supply system.Starting in 1999, all systems are required to send outan annual report on the quality of tap water they supply.This report provides all citizens the opportunity to knowwhat is in the water they drink. Be sure to read yours,and contact the office of your water system supplier ifyou have any questions.Table 1. Average Home Water Usage (USGS, 1996).Porter County Water QualityPorter County Drinking WaterSurface Water QualityDrinking water is supplied either by public watersystems (which may use surface water or groundwater) or by private wells. About 67% of Porter Countyhouseholds use water supplied by one of the 18 publicwater systems, while the other 33% have their ownwells. The major water supplier is Indiana American,which supplies water from Lake Michigan to thenorthwest quadrant of Porter County. One-third ofPorter County residents use water from Lake Michigan.All public drinking water in Porter County must beused in the watershed (Lake Michigan or Kankakee)where it originates.Surface water quality in the United States has greatlyimproved since the enactment of the Clean Water Actin 1972. Sewage treatment plants and industries, whichpreviously discharged minimally-treated pollution intostreams, are now required to have permits for alldischarges. Although much remains to be done, somerivers that once barely supported fish are now fullysupportive of a variety of aquatic life. Several lakeswere analyzed as part of a lake study carried out by theIndiana Clean Lakes Program in 1995. The Trophic StateIndex is an estimate of lake condition based on nutritionor biological productivity, ranging from 0 to 75. Alake with low Trophic State Index (0 to 25) has lowconcentrations of nutrients and is clear with little algae.A high Trophic State Index (50 to 75) has highconcentrations of nutrients, low dissolved oxygen levelsduring summers, and abundant weeds and algae.Nutrients such as phosphorus or nitrogen stimulateincreased growth in aquatic plants. Most of PorterCounty’s lakes fall in the middle range of the index.Ground water is used by the municipal systems ofValparaiso, Kouts, and Hebron. Many mobile homeparks and developments use ground water wells. Allcommunity public water suppliers using ground waterare required to develop a Wellhead Protection Planto protect water quality. The city of Valparaiso wasthe first city in the state to successfully complete itsWellhead Protection Certification in February, 1999.4
Table 2 shows the Trophic State Index for PorterCounty’s major lakes. Most lakes were clearer in 1995than in earea(acres)459895531221TrophicState Index1995931631324121Water BodyTrophicState Index1970422533564031Table 2. Trophic State Index for Porter County Lakes.(source: Indiana Clean Lakes Program)Fish in most rivers and streams in the Lake Michiganwatershed in Porter County are contaminated by PCBsor mercury, according to the 1999 Fish ConsumptionAdvisory provided by the Indiana State Department ofHealth. Therefore, fish from rivers in Porter Countyshould be consumed rarely, and some should not beconsumed at all. These recommendations areparticularly important for women who are pregnant orbreastfeeding, women who plan to have children, andchildren under the age of 15. For more information,consult the most recent Indiana Fish ConsumptionAdvisory. This publication is available from the IndianaDepartment of Natural Resources (100 Water Street,Michigan ediumLaPorte toLake CountiesCobb tRiverMediumHebronPCBs andMercury;E. ColiDissolvedOxygenMediumEast ofChestertonPCBs andMercuryHighPorter toChestertonSalt CreekLowBurns DitchHighPortage toValparaisoLake Stationto PortagePCBs andMercury;Cyanide,Pesticides, E. coliE. coliLakeMichiganCrookedCreekDunes CreekHighMediumLaPorte toLake CountiesValparaisoMediumTremontPCB and MercuryPesticides;Lead; E. Coli;Impaired BioticCommunitiesPCBs and Mercury;E. ColiImpaired BioticCommunitiesImpaired BioticCommunitiesTable 3. Porter County Waterbody Impairment, 1998One of the sources of information on Porter Countyground water quality is a voluntary private well testingprogram carried out from 1997 through 1999 by thePorter County Soil & Water Conservation District andPurdue Extension (Table 4). Nitrate, which has adverseeffects on infants, was found at levels above thedrinking water standard in 6 wells tested (1.3%). Thesehouseholds should treat their water with reverse osmosisor distillation or used bottled water, particularly if aninfant is present or expected in the household.Many streams in Porter County are on Indiana’s list ofimpaired water bodies that are scheduled to have TMDLsdeveloped by about 2014. A TMDL (total maximumdaily load) is a calculation of the maximum amount ofa pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meetwater quality standards. In other words, it is the sum ofthe allowable loads of a single pollutant from allcontributing point and nonpoint sources, and includesa margin of safety and consideration of seasonalvariations. In addition, a TMDL contains the reductionsneeded to meet water quality standards and allocatesthose reductions among the sources in the watershed.Water bodies that are impaired, along with the cause orreason they are listed, are given in Table 3.Ground Water QualityGround water quality in Porter County is generallygood. Some private wells may be contaminated bybacteria or nitrate, often from nearby faulty septicsystems.ContaminantNumber ofWells TestedNitrateTriazine HerbicidesAcetanilide Herbicides4441511161Number of WellsExceeding theDrinking WaterStandard601Table 4. Well testing results in Porter County, 1997-1999.(source: Nitrate and Pesticides in Private Wellsof Indiana)5
The largest dischargers are NISOURCE, BethlehemSteel Corporation, National Steel (Midwest Division),the Chesterton, Portage, Valparaiso Municipal sewagetreatment plants, and the South Haven Water Works, Inc.Screening was also done for two pesticide groups.Triazine herbicides include atrazine, Bladex, andPrincep. None of the wells tested showed levels ofconcern for these pesticides. Acetanilide herbicidesinclude Lasso, Dual, Ridomil, and the breakdownproducts of these herbicides. One well tested showed alevel of concern for these pesticides, although a breakdownproduct of Dual may be responsible for this finding.Nonpoint Source PollutionNonpoint source pollution exists everywhere water runsoff in the watershed, and can come from urban or ruralareas. Nonpoint source pollution can result from normalhome and farm activities as well as accidents or spills.Testing of private wells should continue every few yearsto be sure that water remains safe. Call the PorterCounty Health Department for information on how youcan have your water tested for E.coli bacteria. A currentlist of certified laboratories can be found in the PurdueExtension publication “Water Testing Laboratories” (See“Sources of Information”).Urban and Residential Nonpoint SourcesSeptic systems have the potential ofleaching nutrients into the groundwater and can contaminate thesurface water if the systems arenot functioning properly. About30% of the 47,000 householdsin Porter County use a septicsystem for waste disposal,while the other 70% are connected to a public sewersystem (which treats the waste and then discharges itinto a river or lake as a point source). No information isavailable on how well the more than 14,000 septicsystems in the county are performing, althoughpersistent pathogens found in water sampling programssuggest that some systems may be failing or wereconstructed before current design criteria wereestablished. According to the NRCS Soil Survey, 83%of the soils in Porter County have severe limitations,such as a high water table, for conventional septicsystems. This limitation may be overcome by properdesign, improved systems, and perimeter drainage.Potential Sources of Pollution inPorter CountyPollutants can be separated into two categories, pointsource and nonpoint source, depending on how theyget into the water. Point source pollution refers tocontaminants that enter the water directly, usuallythrough a pipe. Examples are sewage treatment plantsand industrial facilities, which have permits to dischargeprescribed quantities of contaminants into a specificstream. Nonpoint source pollution, commonly referredto as run-off, originates polluted throughout thewatershed, and enters the water at locations that cannotbe easily identified. Examples of nonpoint sourcepollution include sediments, nutrients, pesticides, oil,and hazardous chemicals. Point and nonpoint sourcepollution are illustrated in Figure 7. Nonpoint sourcepollution, which is not regulated, is currently the primarycause of water quality degradation in the United States.Salt, oil, fertilizers and pesticides for lawns, andantifreeze are other examples of urban pollutants thatcan be washed off from rain and enter the water systemas pollutants. No figures are available on runoff ofurban lawn chemicals and animal wastes, which maybe other sources of pollution from residential areas.Agricultural Nonpoint SourcesAgriculture can also contribute to nonpoint sourcepollution. Sediment, nutrients, pathogens, andpesticides can be transported by water from croppedfields and land where manure is applied. Roughly132,000 acres or 49% of Porter County is used forplanting crops. Major crops are corn, soybeans, andsmall grains. Large livestock facilities require a permitfrom the Indiana Department of EnvironmentalManagement (IDEM).Figure 7: Point source and nonpoint source pollution.Point Source PollutionExcellent information is available about point sourcedischarge because permits are required in Porter County.There are currently 32 facilities (municipal sewagetreatment plants, factories, schools, packing plants, etc.)permitted to discharge wastes in Porter County’s water.No specific statistics are available for pesticide use orrunoff in Porter County. Indiana Agricultural Statisticstracks pesticide use statewide and this information couldbe assumed to represent Porter County. In Indiana, the6
most widely used pesticides are the herbicides atrazine,alachlor, and metolachlor. Modern pesticides andherbicides, when properly applied, generally breakdown to nontoxic components in about six months.Large-scale studies carried out in Indiana and elsewherehave shown that typically about 1% of appliedpesticides end up in lakes or rivers.2. Be ResponsibleYou
Porter County citizens and industry use water for many purposes. The largest water use in Porter County is for industry, and the second is thermoelectric (NISOURCE Power). The third is for domestic purposes, which include water in homes for d
2. Gary Porter Construction d/b/a Porter & Sons ("Porter") was at all times relevant a sole proprietorship, owned by Gary A. Porter ("Mr. G.A. Porter"), with its principal place of business located in Magna, Salt Lake County, Utah, and was a licensed subcontractor. 3. National Surety Corporation ("National") was at all times relevant an
Fanning more than Porter) in Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996). 14 Porter, Verbal Aspect 88. 15 Buis t M. Fanning, "Approache s to Verbal Aspec in New Testamen Greek: Issue Defini-tion and Method," in Porter and Carson, Biblical Greek 48. 16 Porter, Verbal Aspect 88-90; Idioms 21-22. 17 Porter .
— Fairfield Porter [FP] was a painter. — Eliot Porter [EP], his brother, became a preëminent nature photographer. — Aline Porter, née Kilham [AP], Eliot’s wife, was also a painter, but in addition, made boxes containing art objects made or assembled by her. — Stephen Porter was the son
strategies according to Porter, Porter's Five Generic Strategies (Gorondutse and Gawuna 2017). Cost leadership and . In the first part of this paper, Porter's generic competitive strategies are described, focusing on the most important aspects of each type of strategy. The second part of the study is a literature review of Porter's Strategy.
This thematic survey of automotive resources in the Porter Avenue corridor sought to identify, document and evaluate resources that have an historic association with Norman's automobile industry. Historically, Porter Avenue was part of Norman's nineteenth century Original Townsite development. By the early 1920s, Porter Avenue
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There are also four possible examples of themes which could be followed. Each has a set of readings with an introduction to them. This could either act as a prompt to whoever is preaching, or could be read when there is no preacher present, as sometimes happens in our rural groups of churches where each church holds its own service. There is a linked prayer and suggestions for the music .
