WHERE IS THE LITTLE BLUE RIVER WATERSHED?
A watershed is the land that water flows across or under on its way to a stream, river, or lake.
In our case it is the land area – approximately 67,483 acres - that is drained
by the Little Blue River and its tributaries.
The Little Blue River Watershed is in Central Indiana, south and east of Indianapolis.
It starts immediately south of the town of Dunreith in Henry County and heads
southwest through Rush and Shelby County
to its confluence with the Big Blue River in Shelbyville.
Some of the towns in the watershed are:
Mays (Rush County)Arlington (Rush County)
Manilla (Rush County)
Rays Crossing (Shelby County)
Shelbyville (Shelby County)
Some of the main tributaries are:
Gilson Creek
Farmers Stream
Beaver Meadow Creek
Linn Creek
Manilla Branch
HYDROLOGIC UNIT CODE
Watersheds are identified by a series of numbers called Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUCs).
This system was developed in the mid-1970s by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The Little Blue River Watershed has the 10-digit HUC 0512020402.
The five subwatersheds that contribute water to the Little Blue River have 12-digit HUCs.
Watershed Name HUC
Headwaters Subwatershed 051202040201
Beaver Meadow-Linn Creek Subwatershed 051202040202
Gilson Creek-Farmers Stream Subwatershed 051202040203
Manilla Branch Subwatershed 051202040204
Rays Crossing Subwatershed 051202040205
Little Blue River Watershed 0512020402
NAVIGABLE DESIGNATION
Based on information from the IDNR Division of Water, the Little Blue River is navigable from its junction with the Big Blue River in Shelbyville for approximately 25 river miles upstream to Ball Run near 400 N and 400 W in Rush County.
OUR IMPACT ON THE GULF OF MEXICO
The Little Blue River Watershed is in the area of the first "O" in the word OHIO
on the map of the Mississippi River Basin.
On its way to the Gulf of Mexico the water from the Little Blue River joins the:
Big Blue River in Shelbyville, IN
Driftwood River near Edinburgh, IN
East Fork of the White River near Columbus, IN
White River near Petersburg, IN
Wabash River west of Princeton, IN at Mt. Carmel, IL
Ohio River south and west of Evansville, IN
Mississippi River at Cairo, IL
HYPOXIC ZONE (The Dead Zone)
Did you notice the area called the Hypoxic Zone in the Gulf of Mexico on the map?
Hypoxia means "low oxygen."
The Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone is an area along the Louisiana-Texas coast
where water near the sea floor has low oxygen conditions.
Scientists think this is caused primarily by too much nitrogen coming down the Mississippi River.
The nitrogen accumulates from land areas including the Little Blue River Watershed.
Nitorgen-rich fertilizer washes off of fields and lawns,
making its way down to the Gulf of Mexico through the network of rivers.
Too much nitrogen promotes algae and zooplankton growth.
When these organisms die they sink to the bottom where they decompose.
This process consumes the available oxygen and kills or drives away most aquatic life.
That's why some people call it the Dead Zone.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Homeowners and city dwellers:
- Don't over-fertilize your lawn.
- Test your soil before adding fertilizer. Get a soil test kit from your local gardeon store. To get the names of labs that do soil testing, check online or call your local SWCD office.
- Keep soil covered with plants or mulch.
- Wash your car on the lawn instead of on the driveway or the street. Better yet, go to a carwash. The dirty water from a carwash is cleaned at the wastewater treatment plant instead of making its way into the river.
- Never put chemicals, pet waste, garbage or debris down a storm drain. It goes streaight to the river.
- Keep grass clippings out of ditches where they might wash into a storm drain.
Farmers and country dwellers:
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Establish a vegetated buffer along all ditches and streams to filter water before it leaves your property.
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Use soil testing to determine proper fertilizer amounts.
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Use no-till or other conservation tillage methods.
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Maintain septic systems and leach fields so they work properly.
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Keep animals and animal waste out of rivers and streams.
