Freshwater ecosystems are a fragile but vital part of our natural world, providing food and drinking water to humans and myriad other species. They are also home to over 40% of the world’s fish species and many other creatures great and small, from hippopotami and crocodiles to mayflies and plankton. These ecosystems are severely threatened by destructive human activities, including dam building, draining of wetlands for development purposes, and agricultural and urban runoff.  The goal of our water-related work is to maintain the biological, chemical, and functional attributes of water by providing legal support to activist groups and influencing public policy.

Legal background: The most important piece of legislation impacting our work in this area is the federal Clean Water Act. The earliest version of the bill was passed in 1942, but its modern form dates to 1972 (with amendments in 1977 and 1987).  It aims to preserve the integrity of US waters and wetlands and to improve wastewater treatment procedures.

An old legal doctrine for water protection that is seeing new life is the public trust doctrine, and CLC is helping define its application to Indiana waters in litigation over deeds to the Lake Michigan shore.

Water Report Cover.jpg

The Indiana Water Project presents recommendations aimed at preparing Indiana’s water infrastructure for a changing future.

Funded by the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust

water updates

Featured
Water Advocacy Interview with Megan Freveletti
Water Advocacy Interview with Megan Freveletti

Question: Indiana’s water quality is a critical concern, and CLC’s Water Report identified 14 recommendations to improve it. Could you highlight some of the most pressing water quality issues in Indiana, and how these recommendations address them?

Freveletti: Indiana has an abundance of fresh water that, for years, has acted as an economic driver across the state. While this has produced benefits, especially for some industries and sectors, it has also resulted in the majority of Indiana’s waterways being polluted. When the water quality is poor, future quantity available for producers and industries is also affected. CLC described this dynamic in its 2016 Water Report. For example, the Report recommends addressing the issue of E. coli contamination by creating vegetated buffers to reduce agricultural runoff. The Report also recommends that Indiana water management authorities should take the environmental, ecological, and social values, along with the economic value, into consideration when making water planning decisions. Indiana has made progress on some of these recommendations but there is more to be done.

Read More →
The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust continues support for CLC’s Clean Water Indiana Program
The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust continues support for CLC’s Clean Water Indiana Program

CLC is proud to announce the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust has continued their support of CLC’s Clean Water Indiana Program with a grant of $484,000 over the next two years. The Pulliam Trust and CLC have a long-standing partnership to improve water quality in the state.

Read More →
PRESS RELEASE: Indiana Environmental Group Challenges State Permit Allowing Releases of Coal Ash Waste into the White River
PRESS RELEASE: Indiana Environmental Group Challenges State Permit Allowing Releases of Coal Ash Waste into the White River

(MARTINSVILLE, IN)- The Hoosier Environmental Council (“HEC”) filed an administrative appeal on Monday with the Indiana Office of Environmental Adjudication (“OEA”). The appeal challenges a water permit issued by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (“IDEM”) that allows the Eagle Valley Generating Station—an AES-owned powerplant in Martinsville—to discharge toxic contaminants from its leaking coal ash ponds directly into the West Fork of the White River.

Read More →
Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape Update - Winter 2022
Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape Update - Winter 2022

We are proud of the progress that has been made in our landscape this past year and the bright future ahead. None of this could be possible without the hard work and time commitment from all of you, including both landowners dedicated to conservation and partnering organizations and agencies.

Read More →
The United States Supreme Court Denies Cert. in Pavlock v. Holcomb
The United States Supreme Court Denies Cert. in Pavlock v. Holcomb

On October 31st, the US Supreme Court denied a petition for certiorari filed by private landowners in the Pavlock case, declining to consider the legal questions posed by petitioners and to require further consideration by the 7th Circuit.

Read More →
The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust Renews Grant Support for CLC’s Clean Water Indiana Program
The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust Renews Grant Support for CLC’s Clean Water Indiana Program

The Conservation Law Center is proud to announce the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust has continued their support of CLC’s Clean Water Indiana Program with a grant of $180,000. This grant represents a longstanding partnership between the Pulliam Trust and CLC, with a shared goal of improving water quality in the state of Indiana.

Read More →
Earth Day 2022!
Earth Day 2022!

Conservation Law Center is making that investment each day by working to protect and improve the health, diversity, beauty and resilience of the planet and defend our shared natural heritage in Indiana and beyond.

Read More →
CLC to Help Coordinate New Sentinel Landscape Program in Southern Indiana
CLC to Help Coordinate New Sentinel Landscape Program in Southern Indiana

The designation of more than 3.5 million acres in southern Indiana as a Sentinel Landscape will protect critical habitats and species, conserve natural resources, strengthen military readiness, and help the state prepare for environmental change. Southern Indiana is one of 3 new additions to the federal program, bringing the total to 10 nationwide.

Read More →
CLC Executive Director Freitag joins Lake Monroe Water Fund Board of Directors
CLC Executive Director Freitag joins Lake Monroe Water Fund Board of Directors

CLC is pleased to announce Executive Director, Christian Freitag, has joined the Board of Directors for the Lake Monroe Water Fund.

The Lake Monroe Water Fund is an active funder for watershed projects that conserve, protect and sustain Lake Monroe as a shared community water resource.

Read More →
Conservation Law Center announces The Duke Energy “Grass Roots” Conservation Fellowship
Conservation Law Center announces The Duke Energy “Grass Roots” Conservation Fellowship

Conservation Law Center is excited to announce a $10,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation to establish a new student fellowship program. The Duke Energy “Grass Roots” Conservation Fellowship will offer students at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law a paid internship to gain hands-on experience advocating for water conservation and improved water quality in the state of Indiana.

Read More →