Free Reusable Bag Program to Start
If you think you have thrown away a plastic bag properly, think again. Because they are so light, many accidentally end up blowing out of trash cans, onto out roadsides, and into wildlife habitat. Many of us have become inured to them, but if you look, you will see them everywhere: in bushes and trees beside our roadways, in the air above our streets, and in our waterways. Estimates suggest that these bags will remain intact for hundreds if not thousands of years. Partnering with "One Bag at a Time", the Tanners Creek Watershed Project and Dearborn County Solid Waste, the Hogan Creek Watershed Project will be supplying residents of Dearborn and Ripley County with reusable shopping bags - for FREE! If you would like more information abou this project or would like to order reusable bags for your next shopping trip, call 812-926-2406 ext 3.

Signs installed throughout watershed
Be on the lookout as "Protect Our Watershed" signs were installed earlier this year throughout the watershed. Aimed at addressing water quality needs through an effective public awareness campaign and installation of watershed signs, the goals of the project are to educate citizens about local waterbodies through watershed signs and a public awareness campaign; and to encourage action through implementation of simple Best Management Practices that address nonpoint source pollution.

Nonpoint source pollution threatens all of our waterways.  Statistics show that people who understand the land-water connection tend to make better choices about how they manage chemicals, fertilizers, and wastes.  Both media and education campaigns can produce up to a 10 to 20 percent improvement in selected watershed behaviors among their respective target populations. If you would like more information about the signage program, contact the coordinator at: 812-926-2406 ext 3.