Graph courtesy of WATER AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN INDIANA

The Water and Economic Development in Indiana completed a six-month study on water resources in Indiana. The study was released by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. While Indiana currently has abundant supplies compared to many areas of the country, the state ranks first in the United States in the percentage of its economy that depends on water.

According to the 2012 U.S. Geological Survey and Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Kosciusko County uses 28 million gallons of water per day of water.

How much is that per person in the county?

U.S. Census Bureau estimated Kosciusko County has approximately 78,500 residents in 2014. If you do the math, each person in the county uses 356.7 gallons of water each day.

Where is the water going?

Kosciusko primarily uses a massive amount of water for irrigational purposes. The graph below shows the million gallons per month irrigation uses in the county. The lines in green indicate irrigational use.

Graph by: WATER AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN INDIANA

In 2011 Kosciusko County used approximately 2,750 MG/Month of water on irrigation compared to 1,000 MG/Month of water in 1989. The county has nearly tripled the amount of water used for irrigation over the last two decades.

Aquifers are another resource of water to the county. An aquifer is an underground layer of permeable rock, sediment or soil that yields water. The map below shows the unconsolidated aquifers in the county and how much water each aquifer yields. Natural lakes and Moraines Aquifer subsystem take up most of the county with 64 wells. It can yield up to 1,450 gallons per minute.

An average bathtub holds approximately 40 gallons of water, take the amount of gallons per minute and divide it by the 40 gallons it takes to fill a bathtub. The Natural Lakes and Moraines Aquifer can fill up to 36 bathtubs per minute.

The graph to the right shows the generalized groundwater availability for the state of Indiana. Each area is indicated with a color. Kosciusko County is primarily blue and green.

Kosciusko County’s groundwater availability ranges from 400 gallons per minute to more than 1,000 gallons per minute.

Compared to the rest of the state, Kosciusko has significantly more groundwater availability. The southern part of the state has 100 times less groundwater availability than Kosciusko.

The reason Kosciusko County has more groundwater availability can be explained by the numerous bodies of water located in northern Indiana.

The study completed by the Water and Economic Development in Indiana shows a long-term plan is needed to ensure adequate fresh water for citizens and businesses in the future.

Water is a resource a lot assume will always be available. This is not true. Kosciusko County’s water usage has drastically increased over the last few decades. If nothing is done, it will only get worse. A plan is in the process to make sure the water in the county is properly managed and conserved.

For more information about the study please click here.