Indiana now tops the nation in water quality restoration efforts, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizing seven state projects as 2025 “Success Stories.” Among the standout achievements is the Flat Creek Watershed in Pike and Dubois Counties, where recent work has resulted in seven delistings from the state’s impaired waters list and measurable improvements in another stream segment.
The EPA’s Success Stories program highlights rivers, lakes, and streams that were once too polluted for activities like swimming, fishing, or sustaining aquatic life but have since shown clear signs of recovery. Indiana’s seven recognized projects far outpace the next closest states, each with only two.
Flat Creek’s improvements reflect years of collaboration between state and federal agencies, local farmers, watershed groups, and community leaders. Restoration projects addressed nonpoint source pollution—runoff from farms, streets, and lawns that carries contaminants such as sediment and nutrients into waterways—using a combination of federal grants, technical support, and local stewardship.
Indiana Department of Environmental Management officials credit these partnerships with driving progress and preventing future threats to water quality. Hoosiers can explore all of the state’s documented restoration efforts on the EPA’s website.
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