LaPorte County Stormwater MS4

07/22/2025

06/30/2025

Exciting things are happening! McKenna (resilient Indiana) and Casey (clean water Indiana intern) are working with our conservationist to make plans for a comprehensive biological inventory of our new prairie marsh restoration project.

05/25/2025

Check out our monthly stormwater newsletter: https://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/DocumentCenter/View/49167/May-2025-Stormwater-Newsletter

02/06/2025

Your yard is part of our watershed! Here's a winter tip that benefits both your property and our local waterways:

Those standing native plants aren't just winter décor - they're working hard as natural stormwater infrastructure:

🌱 Their deep root systems hold soil in place all winter long
💧 Dead stems slow down and absorb snowmelt, reducing pressure on our storm drains
🏠 This natural approach helps prevent flooding in our neighborhoods
💚 Unlike bare lawns, these plant communities create a living system that filters pollutants before they reach our streams

Remember: Every yard connects to our watershed. When we work with nature instead of against it, we create resilient landscapes that protect our water resources year-round.

Want to learn more about how your landscape choices impact our local waterways? Drop a question below.

Remember to leave your plants up for winter which provides a lotta ecosystem services such as: habitat, food, living snow fence, reduced urban flooding on frozen soils (dead stems hold on to moisture), soil stabilization, and something that looks kickass with snow on it.

{Also, this landscape is not rough or messy or weedy or let go. The name of every plant is known -- Latin and common -- and each is placed there on purpose based on research of that plant species. The space is actively managed.)

More inspiring images at https://prairieup.com/portfolio/

12/11/2024

❓ Word Wednesday: what is an "outfall"?
Outfalls are part of the stormwater infrastructure. These typically discharge water after precipitation because storm drains collect rain from streets and parking lots.
Outfalls can also be connected to other systems such as wastewater treatment plants.

12/02/2024

Check out these key stories from Clear Choices!
Learn why storm drain clean up matters and what you can do in helping keep the waterways clean and functional!

Storm drains are a normal part of street and parking lot infrastructure. They are designed to collect and redirect excess runoff from rainfall. Located most often along street and sidewalk curbs or set off of the road in a drainage area, storm drains move water off the street and into a piping syste...

11/21/2024

When it rains stormwater carries fallen leaves into the nearest storm drain. Overtime these leaves pile up across the drain and block the flow of water. Since the stormwater can’t go down the drain, it backs up into the road, sidewalks, lawns, and sometimes into basements.
The water that does make its way through the leaves an, carries phosphorus with it to the Ottawa River. Too much phosphorus in the river can cause algae blooms which can kill fish, plants, and other wildlife.
So, as you are raking or blowing your leaves this fall, be sure to keep them out of the drains.

City of Lima, OH - Government

11/21/2024

❄️ This winter, Be Salt Smart. Follow these tips, and your car, your pets, and the environment will thank you!

11/21/2024

Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) grant funding applications for water quality improvement projects will be accepted until Jan. 15, 2025. The program provides technical and financial assistance to help reduce nonpoint sediment and nutrient pollution through logjam or dam removal, wetland creation and more. Get more project information including the application forms at https://ow.ly/U2L150Ub6Vf