About the

Regional Water Studies

In response to concerns about the urgency and possible lack of transparency regarding the IEDC-led water study conducted by Intera in Tippecanoe County and concerns raised by local governmental leaders and citizens, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb halted the IEDC study. The governor then asked the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA), which had led regional water studies in other parts of the state, to lead a much larger regional study along the Wabash.

Current Studies

Noting the need to understand resources along the Wabash and their interconnectivity, IFA is conducting two new regional water studies simultaneously.

The 15-county North-Central region includes Tippecanoe County and points west and south along the Wabash. The 10-county Wabash Headwaters region stretches from western Tippecanoe County east to the Indiana state line and beyond.

To date, the IFA has been responsive and transparent regarding its goals and objectives, its process, and, as it did in its previous studies across the state, its desire to gather scientific data regarding the region’s water resources and their quality, quantity, and expected viability for the next 50 years.

regional water studies maps

Frequently Asked Questions

Glossary of Commonly Used Terms

Aquifer

An underground layer of permeable rock, gravel, or sand that holds water, allowing it to flow through and be extracted for use.

Right-of-way (ROW)

The legal right to pass through or use a specific strip of land for the construction and maintenance of infrastructure.

Watershed

A geographic area of land where all surface water drains to a common outlet, such as a river, lake, or ocean. It includes the surrounding land and the network of rivers, streams, and water bodies within it.