Published: August 22, 2008 12:01 pm         

Eel River

Cleanup project could use support

A project aimed at cleaning up the Eel River is great news for Logansport.

A coalition led by Manchester College recently announced a $1 million initiative to improve the water quality on a 30-mile stretch of the river.

The Middle Eel River Watershed Initiative received nearly $600,000 in Clean Water Act funds through the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and it has lined up another $400,000 in contributions from other sources.

The college’s Jerry Sweeten put together the application that landed the federal funding. He called the river a tremendous natural resource that had been neglected for years.

The 110-mile river travels through Allen, Whitley, Kosciusko, Wabash, Miami and Cass counties. It was once one of the outstanding fishing streams in the Midwest, but the river is now on the Environmental Protection Agency’s “impaired” list for excessive levels of e-coli, PCBs, mercury and other pollution.

The project focuses on a 30-mile stretch of the Eel River between North Manchester and Mexico. Stream monitoring will begin in January, as will public meetings on the four-year initiative.

County agricultural agencies will work with farmers along the river, while college scientists and student researchers handle the monitoring. Project organizers are counting on area environmental groups, schools, clubs and other organizations to provide scores of volunteers. They’re also hoping to attract more funding.

The Eel River is the source of Logansport’s drinking water, and it’s a great resource for people throughout the region. We should all be concerned about its future.

If you or your organization might be interested in helping, Sweeten would love to hear from you.