An action plan two years in the making to improve the Maumee River watershed is complete. Now one group in Fort Wayne is working to make sure it’s implemented. Save Maumee held an implementation conference Saturday.
The Maumee River is the largest stream that flows into the Great Lakes. But it’s suffering from pollution, erosion, and runoff from farms.
Addressing the problem is challenging – the river crosses city, county, and state lines. As the water flows downstream it easily becomes somebody else’s problem. That’s according to Abigail King, founder of the grassroots non-profit Save Maumee.
She says the new watershed management plan was a collaborative effort, and now that it’s complete, Maumee projects can be considered for federal dollars.
King introduced the plan to stakeholders at Save Maumee’s implementation conference. She says it provides a snapshot of the current condition of the river, and suggestions for what can be done to improve it.
“We’re able to each take a piece of this plan, so for example Sierra Club wants to work on water testing, Soil and Water Conservation District is working on agriculture," says King. "What are you going to do to make it better?
King is calling for immediate action on improvement projects - the plan expires in five years.