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The Water Stewardship Committee (WSC) aims to safeguard Greater Lafayette’s water resources while embracing economic advancements that pave the way to a thriving and resilient future.
By advocating for pragmatic approaches to sustainable development, the WSC balances ecological integrity and community prosperity when evaluating proposed projects and policies that impact a vital resource.
The Water Stewardship Committee includes partners from the City of Lafayette Mayor’s Office, the City of West Lafayette Mayor’s Office, Tippecanoe County Commissioners, and the Greater Lafayette Commerce’s Executive Team.
The WSC takes a protective stance on all proposed projects and policies until the long-term impacts on our community’s environment and economy are known and research-informed decisions can be made.
Please connect with your local representatives to share your questions and perspectives about water stewardship in our community.
LEAP is an acronym for Limitless Exploration/Advance Pace, a program developed by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) which is designed to establish and make development-ready large (1,000-acre+) tracts of land, often referred to as “mega-sites.”
Many corporations are seeking vast tracts of land to build new state-of-the-art research and development and manufacturing facilities. Requests for 500 to 1,000-acre+ sites are becoming more common. To meet the speed of the businesses seeking the locations, developers of these “mega” sites need to have land acquisition in order and the proper zoning in place. They also need sufficient utility service, as well as other infrastructure, in place to qualify for the site selection process. The IEDC developed the LEAP program to enable the State of Indiana to compete for these “mega” corporate attractions and investment opportunities. They also provide powerful opportunities to re-shore production and critical industry, support the regional supply chain, and grow regional economies.
The IEDC says LEAP districts will create new jobs in future-focused industries like microelectronics, leading to more economic opportunities. As LEAP Lebanon and its companies scale, they will create a new tax base and higher-wage jobs. With a minimum of four new ancillary jobs created for each new job in the district, the entire corridor from Lebanon to Greater Lafayette will benefit from this new influx of careers.
The Limitless Exploration/Advanced Pace (LEAP) Pipeline was proposed by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation to transport water from Tippecanoe County to fulfill the needs of a planned industrial park in Lebanon, Indiana. This proposal is under review, and development has not begun.
In developing its plan for the LEAP-Lebanon mega site, the IEDC quickly realized it needed more water, electric, and gas utilities at the scale required to support many of the corporate attraction deals the state hoped to win. Citing a large semiconductor company’s potential interest, the IEDC began working to solve the need for more sufficient water. The search for possible sources of abundant groundwater leads the IEDC to investigate the shallow alluvial aquifers near the Wabash River in Tippecanoe County. The IEDC contracted Intera, an environmental and water resource consulting firm, to do test wells along the Wabash, just West of Lafayette, and provide an assessment of the volume of water that could be withdrawn and piped approximately 45 miles to the LEAP Lebanon site. At one point, long before the analysis had been completed, state officials were quoted as saying they hoped to pump and pipe up to 100M gallons of water a day out of the Wabash to meet the needs of the LEAP Lebanon site and those companies interested in locating there.
The possible impacts of moving large quantities of groundwater from one watershed to another watershed are currently unknown. Multiple studies are underway to assess its potential ramifications.
One pump test on the Wabash River’s alluvial aquifer, funded by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) and conducted by Intera, has been completed. The Greater Lafayette Region Water Stewardship Committee commissioned an independent peer review of the Intera study. Conducted by Haley & Aldrich, a Boston environmental and engineering consultancy, it showed predicting the sustainability of large withdrawals from the Wabash River’s alluvial aquifers was beyond the scope of the Intera study.
The Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) is developing two studies on the water supply in Indiana’s upper Wabash and north-central regions. The information will soon be publicly available.
No. Timelines would not be created until a project is approved.
There are three main water studies related to the LEAP Lebanon district and the proposed pipeline:
The INTERA Study: Conducted by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), this study assesses the water availability in central Indiana, particularly in the Greater Lafayette area, to support regional development and the LEAP district.
The IFA North Central Indiana Water Study: Led by the Indiana Finance Authority, this study focuses on understanding future groundwater and surface water demands and availability across 15 counties, including the area around Lafayette, to facilitate sustainable water resource management.
The IFA Wabash Headwaters Water Study: Also managed by the Indiana Finance Authority, this study examines water demand and supply in the headwaters region of the Wabash, which may impact or contribute to the water resources available for the LEAP district and broader central Indiana area.
These studies collectively aim to provide a comprehensive view of the region’s water resources to inform state policy development and decisions about proposed pipelines and the growth and sustainability of the LEAP Lebanon development district.
Learn more on our water studies page.
The Intera Study is a pump test conducted by Intera, an environmental and water resource consulting firm, on behalf of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). The pump test was focused on the Wabash River alluvial aquifer system in Tippecanoe County, just west of Lafayette. The IEDC funded it, as the quasi-state entity was working to recruit large-scale water users to the LEAP (Limitless Exploration/Advance Pace) District in Lebanon, Indiana. The IEDC said the goal of the Intera study was to analyze the scale of water availability in Tippecanoe County to assist in the development of LEAP Lebanon and address future water resource challenges facing central Indiana and the Indianapolis metro area. The IEDC publicly suggested the study would assess the possible future impacts on Greater Lafayette’s water supply.
The primary goal of the IFA’s North Central Indiana Water Study is to improve the understanding of estimated future groundwater and surface water demand and availability within the public water utility sector so that a gap analysis can be conducted. The questions the study is looking to answer include: How much water is currently available? Will there be enough water to meet the 50-year Public Water Supply needs?
The study will examine the 50-year demand and supply availability in the watersheds, which are primarily located in Boone, Clinton, Fountain, Fulton, Howard, Kosciusko, Montgomery, Parke, Pulaski, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Vermillion, Vigo, Warren, and White counties.
It is important to note, this study is not a continuation of any water related investigations that may have been conducted in the region. However, all relevant data will be evaluated for inclusion in the IFA’s final report.
The primary goal of the IFA’s Wabash Headwaters Water Study is to improve the understanding of estimated future groundwater and surface water demand and availability within the public water utility sector so that a gap analysis can be conducted. The questions the study is looking to answer include: How much water is currently available? Will there be enough water to meet the 50-year Public Water Supply needs?
The Study will examine the 50-year demand and supply availability in the watersheds, which are primarily located in Blackford, Carroll, Cass, Grant, Howard, Huntington, Jay, Miami, Wabash, Wells, and Whitley counties.
It is important to note, this study is not a continuation of any water related investigations that may have been conducted in the region. However, all relevant data will be evaluated for inclusion in the IFA’s final report.
The regional water studies commissioned by the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) are designed to provide state leaders with critical data and insights into Indiana’s water resources. While more study is needed, the findings from these studies will help equip decision-makers with the necessary information to make informed choices regarding managing and utilizing water resources across the state. This includes planning for sustainable water supply, addressing future water demands, and developing infrastructure projects. These studies aim to ensure that water resource decisions are based on sound scientific data and contribute to the long-term viability and growth of the state.