Research Projects

Hendricks County Water Study

Status Start Date End Date Locations
Active Sep 1, 2023 Aug 31, 2025 Hendricks
Director: Ginger Davis
Other Researchers: Town of Plainfield - Board
Issue: The water resources of Hendricks County are fairly unknown. The increase in urbanization, population growth, and aggregate mining has lead to a concern of water utilization and future supplies of water resources for the area. The current state of data and knowledge is unavailable to answer these questions.
Objective: 1) determine needed resources to properly characterize the available water resources from the area 2) reach out to additional community governments and state government for support of the project 3) seek funding opportunities for a county wide study of the water resources 4) show value of research towards water resource studies for Indiana communities
Approach: 1) Assess data available in the area; develop an investigation plan; determine resources needed to conduct study; develop a budget for the study 2) Approach county and city/town council and commissioners with a needs assessment; discuss the value of a study for planning, economic impact, and future needs; build a stakeholder group that will support funding opportunities 3) Approach funding sources with support of stakeholders; assess grant or appropriation opportunities 4) Use similar studies, this need, and stakeholder support to showcase value of this sort of assessment state wide
Products: Study Plan and funding toward a Water Resource Study for Hendricks County
Benefits: Grow the Center for Water projects; Gain attention to Center for Water abilities; Strategy 3.1: Characterizing and evaluating surface water and groundwater resources, including environmental monitoring, and gathering water-quality data within streams, wells, and springs; and detailed mapping of aquifer systems; Strategy 4.5: Maps of bedrock aquifers based on collected hydrogeologic data.