Pleasant Run Watershed Group Forming!

The Friends of Pleasant Run have been busy talking with local neighborhood organizations, environmental groups, and churches about their watershed and upcoming public meeting. Their goal is to reach as many people as they can who are interested in protecting the Pleasant Run Watershed. They are asking for others to assist them in helping spread the word! The public meeting is Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lutheran Child and Family Services, 1525 N. Ritter Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46219. A lot more details about the watershed including a map and more details about the meeting site are available on the watershed group’s website at www.pleasantrunwatershed.org.

What is Pleasant Run Watershed? Pleasant Run is a small stream that runs through the east side of Indianapolis. It provides scenic green space, wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities for the local community. The watershed also includes Bean Creek. The watershed area is basically east of I-65 S. in the near east side of Indianapolis, and south of I-70 E., and within I-465 on the southeast side of the city. Currently, the watershed has become polluted by rain and melting snow carrying trash, dirt, oil, lawn fertilizer, bacteria and other pollutants into the stream. The Friends of Pleasant Run would like to work towards better protection of the watershed. A clean protected watershed would offer improved recreational opportunities, increased property values, reduced flooding, provide better wildlife habitat, and support improved public health.

The Friends of Pleasant Run’s goal is to create a plan outlining how people can protect Pleasant Run and then implement that plan. Average citizens will lead the project. The Friends say they don’t need individual’s money, but say they do need people’s ideas and participation. Interested individuals can help by attending their public meeting on June 22nd and bringing others who may be interested. At this first watershed meeting the group plans to identify public concerns and discuss how they can create a plan to clean up and protect Pleasant Run. Flyers that advertise the public meeting, providing answers to frequently asked questions, and including a map of the watershed have been developed and are available on their website for schools, non-business organizations, individuals, churches, clubs and businesses.

The Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is a quasi- state and local government organization that promotes wise use of soil, water and related natural resources. The District is very supportive of local citizens working together to resolve their own local resource issues. The Pleasant Run Watershed is joining with other similar groups in the community, such as the Eagle Creek Watershed Alliance, the Lower Fall Creek Watershed, and the Upper White River Watershed Alliance that are voluntarily working to improve their respective communities. To learn more about Pleasant Run and other active watershed groups within central Indiana visit the SWCD website’s home page at www.marionswcd.org or call the District’s office at 317-786-1776. Maps of all local watersheds that include parts of Marion County are also available on the Conservation District’s website.