Editor’s note: This letter was written after the second Indiana Water Summit and Forums, held at Conner Prairie in Fishers and in Indianapolis.
Editor,
The recent Indiana Water Summit and pre-Summit forums created a designated space for critical, integrated water conversations that will protect Indiana’s shared water future. Three key actions will lead the way.
Continue to educate the public and build public will. Safe and ample water is needed to make our dinners, bathe our children and keep our industries running. The essential roles that water plays in our daily lives make it imperative that we purposefully spotlight the irreplaceable value of our water supply and garner support for community-based conservation strategies.
Switch to conservation farming practices for win-wins. A panel of award-winning farmers at the summit explained how their soil health strategies have increased net profits by $57.76 per acre since switching to conservation farming practices.
Plan and prepare for water crises now. Flooding was identified as the largest looming concern, according to climate scientists. There is an urgent need for Indiana to elevate the value it places on floodplains, wetlands and more sustainable stormwater management practices to reduce the risks we face.
The White River Alliance plans to continue to facilitate critical cooperation through future regional forums and the third Water Summit event in 2020. To get involved, visit thewhiteriveralliance.org.
Jill Hoffmann, White River Alliance director
