MUNCIE, Ind. – The Muncie Wastewater Treatment Plant does much more than filter dirty water. What may be left unknown is all the hard work they put in when it comes to increasing biodiversity.
Starting with clean water itself, each type of species has different tolerances when it comes to water quality. For example, when it comes to the category Intolerant, Mayfly Nymphs thrive best compared to Mosquito Larva, which are under the category very tolerant. Fish and larva aren’t the only species that use the White River.
Many different species of mussels and birds use the water to survive. For example, mussels cling to the fish’s gills to gain nutrients to survive. What most might not know is that the mussels population is declining. The Beuro of Water Quality is working hard to find solutions to this problem, one being growing mussels in the lab before releasing them to the wild.
“On average, they say one in ten thousand mussels survives, so we are trying our best to up those numbers to make sure we can return those populations to what they were prior to pollution,” said Fisheries biologist Drew Hoccoway.
In 1972, the Bureau of Water Quality was created. Professional staff work hard to keep the water and biodiversity in check. Ways this is done can be traced to the daily chemical test, 365 days of the year. Problems from way down the river can create more problems down the opposite side of the river. Dams are an example of such problems.
The Bureau of Water Quality has removed two dams and modified two others. There is currently one remaining. New species in different parts of the river are being found, thanks to the removal and modification of those dams. New habitats have also been found and created.
“The biodiversity has increased significantly over our 50 years of helping to clean up the white River,” said Chuck Jones, Bureau of Water Quality director.
To learn more about what they do, check out their website at munciesanitary.org.
Contact Stephanie Weaver with comments at stephanie.weaver@bsu.edu.
