In 2012, Jefferson County SWCD teamed up with local groups to restore Indian-Kentuck Creek. 12 years later, conservation work cut nitrogen pollution by 81,259 pounds a year

A long-running conservation effort in southeastern Indiana has produced measurable improvements in the Indian-Kentuck Creek watershed. The work began with a watershed management plan developed in 2012 and expanded into years of conservation practices, landowner participation and community outreach. By 2024, the effort had helped reduce estimated annual nitrogen pollution by 81,259 pounds, while water quality and biological conditions also showed improvement.

The report is based on Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM),Indian Kentuck Creek Watershed Restoration Case Study; Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District; Historic Hoosier Hills Resource Conservation and Development Council. The case study identifies Alyssa Henthorn of IDEM as the listed contact.

What changed in the watershed?

The Indian-Kentuck watershed covers about 152.8 square miles across Jefferson and Ripley counties. Within it, the Brushy Fork subwatershed includes agricultural and forested areas and connects Kentuck Creek with Indian-Kentuck Creek.

The need for restoration became clear during monitoring conducted by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) in 2012. One stream segment, INN0125_01, was impaired for its biological condition. Its macroinvertebrate IBI score was 32, while the fish IBI score was 52. In Indiana, scores below 36 are considered not supporting.

Another segment, INN0125_04, had nutrient-related concerns. During the same monitoring, the stream recorded a pH of 9.11 and dissolved oxygen of 14.7 milligrams per liter, or 177.9% saturation. Indiana's water quality standards require pH to remain between 6.0 and 9.0.

The results pointed to biological stress and water chemistry concerns, particularly those associated with excess nutrients such as phosphorus.

How did restoration work begin?

Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District secured a CWA Section 205(j) grant in 2012 to create a watershed management plan. That plan was completed in 2014.

The next stage focused on putting conservation practices on the ground. From 2015 through 2024, CWA Section 319 funding was used through Historic Hoosier Hills Resource Conservation and Development Council to support priority best management practices and education.

The project brought together soil and water conservation districts, nonprofit organizations, landowners, local officials and state agencies. Their work centered on reducing nutrient and sediment runoff while improving conditions across the watershed.

Conservation tillage, riparian buffers, cover crops, grazing rotation and fencing were among the practices used. Other work included heavy-use area protection and alternate watering facilities designed to reduce livestock impacts.

Across Jefferson, Ripley and Switzerland counties, 56 best management practices were installed with the participation of 25 landowners. In the Brushy Fork subwatershed, the work included 347 acres of pasture and hayland planting, 25 acres of seeding and nearly 2,945 acres of cover crops.

Did the conservation practices reduce pollution?

The results show a substantial reduction in nutrient pollution.

The conservation work is estimated to have prevented 81,259 pounds of total nitrogen and 40,267 pounds of total phosphorus from entering the watershed each year.

Water quality indicators also improved. Follow-up monitoring by IDEM in 2024 found that the macroinvertebrate IBI score for INN0125_01 had increased from 32 to 40. The fish IBI remained within the supporting range at 42.

Conditions also improved in INN0125_04. The pH fell from 9.11 to 8.59, while dissolved oxygen saturation declined from 177.9% to 129.2%. The earlier combination of indicators that had triggered the nutrient impairment was no longer present.

Those improvements support proposals to remove the biological and nutrient impairments from the affected stream segments during the 2026 listing cycle.

What made the project successful?

The restoration effort relied on more than individual conservation practices. It developed through continued participation from landowners, local organizations, conservation districts and government agencies.

The watershed management plan provided a framework for the work, while Section 319 funding helped turn that plan into projects on agricultural land.

Education and outreach were also part of the effort. Community involvement helped reinforce changes in land management and encouraged continued watershed stewardship.

The result was a sustained conservation program rather than a single restoration project. Over the years, practices addressing nutrients, sediment, livestock impacts and agricultural runoff were put in place across the watershed.

The Indian-Kentuck Creek case shows how long-term watershed restoration can produce measurable changes. Beginning with planning in 2012 and continuing through years of implementation, the effort helped lower nitrogen and phosphorus inputs, improve biological conditions and address water quality impairments.

The estimated reduction of 81,259 pounds of nitrogen each year stands as one of the clearest measures of the project's progress.

FAQs

How much nitrogen was reduced?
An estimated 81,259 pounds annually.

When did the project begin?
The watershed planning effort began in 2012.