BEDFORD – The Lawrence County Commissioners Tuesday signed a letter of support for the Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District and their continuation of the implementation phase of an Indiana Department of Environmental Management section 319 grant for the Twin Creek-Lick Branch of the East Fork White River watershed.
“By supporting his project, Lawrence County believes it is part of a program that positively impacts not only our unique natural resources but more importantly the citizens of Lawrence County and surrounding counties, as well as the citizens across Indiana,” the letter read. “Healthy streams and waterways lead to a higher quality of life for all.”
The Twin Creek Lick Branch Watershed is the site of an ongoing water quality project that has been in the making for the last three years.
The project focuses on the watershed, which is part of the winding White River.
The watershed consists of 117,000 acres across several different counties including Lawrence, Washington, Orange, and Jackson. Large portions of the watershed are located in Lawrence and Washington counties in particular.
Twin Creek Lick Branch is connected to another watershed: Lower East Fork White, which extends around 207 square miles across southwest Indiana. Residents in these areas rely on the watershed for drinking water, as well as agricultural and recreational activities.
The grant funding will allow an assessment of the watershed and its overall health. This will be done by analyzing the water quality of the multiple waterways in the area.
Specialists will then test the water to detect the presence of any potentially harmful bacteria. The project will also feature the implementation of proactive measures, such as stream monitoring.
