State of the River Report released March 18, 2011. Fifteen years of water quality monitoring, educational efforts and assistance to land owners hasn’t eliminated the threats to water quality in the St. Joseph River watershed.
Read the State of the River report to learn what has been done and what still must be accomplished to improve water quality. (click picture)

2013 Tri-State Conservation Farming Expo

Fort Wayne, Indiana, March 1, 2013 – The 12th annual Tri-State Conservation Farming Expo will be held Friday, March 1st at the World War II Victory Museum in Auburn, IN.  Sponsored by the St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative, the goal of this year’s Expo is to inform farms how to healthy soils can yield to healthy profits and healthy waterways.  Featured speakers include Kevin King with ARS Ohio to speak on Water Management; Joe Nester with Nester AG to speak on No-till; Brian Young to speak on herbicide resistant weeds; Greg Kneubuhler to speak on cover crops; and Soil Health and Dr. Fred Whitford with Purdue University to speak on the new fertilizer rules and DOT regulations.  There will be three roundtable discussions and equipment to view. 
Registration to the Expo is $20, which includes admission to the Expo, a hot lunch and refreshments.  Registration and exhibits will open at 7:30 a.m. and the program begins at 8:00 a.m.. Tickets are available for purchase at the DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District in, DeKalb, IN and from the St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative, located within the Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District, Fort Wayne, 260.484.5848 x 3.
 Continuing education credits for private pesticide applicators, commercial applicators and certified crop advisors are available for an additional $10 processing fee.  This event is open to the public and we encourage all those interested in the St. Joseph River Watershed to attend and learn more about the watershed.  If you have any questions or would like to register for the Tri-State Conservation Expo, please contact Jennifer Thum at 260.484.5848 for additional information.

An Evening Bus Tour of the Upper St. Joseph
The St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative is in the beginning stages of developing a watershed management plan for the Upper St. Joseph River watershed.  A comprehensive plan cannot be developed without the help of concerned citizens who have a stake in the happenings in the watershed or the river itself.  Therefore, the initiative is hosting an informative bus tour in the Upper St. Joseph and will make stops in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan.  In each state there will be a public meeting to solicit local concerns and ideas on the water resources in this watershed.  The tour starts in Lake Seneca and from there the bus will leave to stop at Clear Lake and ends in Camden, MI. Along the way we will discuss both urban and agricultural nutrient management, bacteria levels, sedimentation and animal feeding operations. We are encouraging you to hop on the bus at Lake Seneca and join us for the whole tour, but if you are unable to, then we hope you will stop by the public meeting that is germane to this area.    
 
Updated Water Quality Reports

Please find the final draft version of the 2011 Water Quality Report for the St. Joseph River.  If you should have any specific questions, please contact us and we would be happy to go over the document with you.

Tri-State Conservation Farming Expo to Return for the 11th Year
The St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative is proud to present the 11th annual Tri-State Conservation Farming Expo to take place on March 13, 2012 in Montpelier, OH at the Veteran’s Memorial Building on the Williams County Fairgrounds. This year’s theme for the Expo is Farming “4R” Future; focusing on the agronomic and economic benefits of applying fertilizer at the Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place, and using the Right Source.
 
The Expo will have regionally renowned speakers to present facts on fertilizer application and the consequences if the “4Rs” are not followed properly. Speakers include “Digital Dale” Minyo known for his morning and afternoon broadcasts on the Ohio Ag. Network, Dave Baker, Director Emeritus of the National Center for Water Quality at Heidelberg University, and Brother Nick Renner a landowner located in the Grand Lake/Saint Marys watershed, among other speakers.
 
The Expo will provide the opportunity for certified crop advisors to receive up to 5.5 continuing education units. The Expo will also have over 15 vendors present to answer questions and provide valuable tools to enhance your farming experience and production. A continental breakfast and fish lunch will be served. Each year the attendance at the Expo grows, with over 250 attendees at last year’s Expo, we hope the 11th annual Tri-State Conservation Expo will reach even more landowners and producers.
 
Tickets to the Expo are $20 each if purchased before March 1, 2012. Tickets are $25 if purchased between March 1st and 13th, including walk-ins the day of the Expo. If interested in attending the Tri-State Conservation Farming Expo, or for more information, contact the St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative at 260.484.5848, or your local SWCD.
Septic System Workshop Nov. 5, 2011

The St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative is hosting a septic systems workshop on Nov. 5, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. at the Miller Park Shelter House in Edgerton, OH (300 Miller Park Drive). The workshop is free and open to the public. Homeowners are especially encouraged to attend to learn how their septic system works and how to maintain it. Participants will also learn about the St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative’s plan to establish a cost-share program for homeowners who need to repair or replace their septic systems.
There will be refreshments and door prizes! No need to pre-register.

Contact Sharon Partridge-Hall, Program Manager for the Initiative for further information; 260.484.5848 ext. 120 or Sharon.hall@in.nacdnet.net.

The Middle St. Joseph River Sub-Watershed Project Begins!
The SJRWI has been awarded a Clean Water Grant from IDEM to create a Watershed Management Plan for the Middle St. Joseph River Sub-Watershed.
 

PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT: The Initiative has been monitoring water quality in the St. Joseph River Watershed over the past 14 years.  Data has shown that surface water in the Middle St. Joseph Sub-watershed has exceeded maximum contaminant levels for dissolved oxygen, phosphorus, and E. coli throughout the testing cycle. The goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive Watershed Management Plan that incorporates the ideas and concerns of the watershed’s stakeholders which includes producers, businesses, residential landowners, and city and county offices, and to identify ways to improve water quality. This will be accomplished by a 42 month 319 grant, administered by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, which was awarded to the Initiative in September 2010 to develop a Watershed Management Plan for the Middle St, Joseph River Sub-watershed and begin implementation of that Watershed Management Plan during the last 12 months of the grant.

 

For more information, contact the Initiative office at: 260-484-5848 ext. 120

 

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

The following businesses, agencies and organizations have helped sponsor our Outreach and Education programs in 2011

Allen County Parks and Recreation (www.allencoparks.org)

Allen County SWCD (www.allenswcd.org)

DeKalb County SWCD (www.dekalbswcd.org)

Steuben County SWCD (www.steubenswcd.org)

Williams County SWCD (www.williamsswcd.org)

Farmers and Merchants Bank, Biotill Cover Crops, Midwest Ag Finance, Rupley Farm Equipment, Bunge North America, Farm Credit Service of Mid-America, Liechty Farm Equipment, DEKALB/Asgrow, Brodbeck Seeds, Edon Farmers Co-op, Bennett Seeds, The Andersons, Alliance Agra, North Central Co-op, Paul Martin and Sons LLC, Nester Ag LLC, Agridry LLC, Archbold Equipment, Williamson Insurance Agency, Agra Warehouse, Max Delagrange.

We appreciate the help our sponsors give!

SJR Online!
Historic & current water quality monitoring data for the St. Joseph River.
Click here to access the database.

Septic Systems: Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind
A new DVD is now available. The video explains what a septic system is, what it does, and how problems can be prevented through regular inspection and proper upkeep. Copies are available at the health departments and soil and water conservation districts in Allen, Noble and DeKalb counties.

 

To watch the video online, go to www.co.allen.in.us/acowmd or visit the Allen County’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/allencountyinfo

CHECK THIS OUT!
Two new additions to the website.
 
1. What's a Watershed? and Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC)
 
2. What Do Rubber Duckies have to do with Nonpoint Source Pollution? Two Public Service Announcements from IDEM