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Water is very much on Hoosiers’ minds. From the unpopular legislation from four years ago that stripped our critical wetlands of protection to the 2023 news that the state was considering a pipeline to carry water 35 miles from Tippecanoe County to the LEAP development in Lebanon, it’s top of mind for many.
Hoosiers overwhelmingly support protecting Indiana’s water supply and ensuring it’s available to everyone well into the future, according to a recent survey commissioned by The Nature Conservancy. A full 95% of respondents agreed that water is a public resource that should be protected.
Eighty-two percent believe Indiana should have a comprehensive policy to manage its water resources, and 81% said protecting Indiana’s water and other natural resources is “important to [their] voting decisions in state elections.”
Bellwether Research surveyed 800 registered voters in Indiana in mid-November. Forty percent said they were Republicans, and 22% said they were Democrats, while the rest said they were independent. The survey has a 3-percentage-point margin of error.
This is important because it represents voters across the spectrum and provides a clear window into Hoosiers’ thinking about water and natural resources. This is especially significant as the General Assembly convenes and water is an issue on the minds of legislators.
Several water-related bills have been filed, and more are expected. They run the gamut from protecting withdrawals to establishing new regulations. The ideas are flowing, and the thirst for action is great, but The Nature Conservancy counsels patience and a different approach.
Circumstances provide a rare opportunity. With few existing regulations, legislators can work from a clean slate. The pipeline idea, thankfully, is dead. We now have a chance to take the time necessary to fully understand Indiana’s water—how much is available, how clean it is and the locations that will need more in the future.
It’s the ideal time for Gov. Mike Braun’s administration and legislators to appoint a wide-ranging commission—representing all the diverse needs of Hoosiers—to spend the next two years understanding our water resources and how best to protect them. The charge should include a comprehensive agenda of policies and legislation to ensure our future is rich with abundant, clean water for everyone.
This is a reasonable approach and like what Ohio has done in recent years. The H2Ohio program was enacted after a study and has since spent billions of dollars on the state’s water future. Texas, likewise, just approved more than $2 billion for new water projects in water districts across that state. Texas first enacted a comprehensive water program in 1957.
Indiana would be wise to take the time to learn from Texas and others how to manage our most precious resource, but we still need more information. The Indiana Finance Authority recently released its latest regional water study, this one for north-central Indiana. It found the region has plenty of water, but it’s not distributed evenly.
Hoosiers also recognize wetlands play an important role in our water system. Seventy-three percent of respondents said they support restoring protections for wetlands that were repealed by the General Assembly in 2021. That includes 48% who strongly support it. And 83% of respondents said they support incentives for residential and commercial developers who protect wetlands as part of their planned developments.
This is good news, but large portions of the state still need similar study. This proposal would allow time for that to happen.
Water is different from any other legislative initiative. It’s impossible to live without adequate, clean water. Lawmakers must spend the necessary time and resources to get this right. Our future depends on it.•
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Ketzenberger is director of government relations for The Nature Conservancy in Indiana.
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