“Conservation Action Plans,” presented by “Save the Dunes” in 2024 designated the Hobart Marsh and Deep River as requiring a conservation vision, conservation target and conservation strategies. The Hobart Marsh properties that are part of the Little Calumet River mitigation project have been seeded and plugged with many mesic prairie and mesic savanna plant species. Most of the Hobart Marsh properties were previously farmed or grazed by livestock. These areas, that are designation as Riparian areas will improve water quality by reducing soil runoff and nutrient loading into Deep River. Furthermore, areas will provide appropriate habitats for native vegetation and connect natural areas, via corridors, for wildlife, aquatic life, insect life and natural vegetation.
Deep River is the primary river that occurs throughout this Conservation Area. This compelling documentation focuses on the Deep River Riparian areas necessary to engage partners, support fundraising initiatives and communicate the incredible nature of the Calumet Region and its diverse communities.
Conservation targets for the Hobart Marsh and Deep River focus area include mesic savanna and prairies, wetlands and riparian habitats, state listed species of threatened and endangered plants and animals and biodiversity across all sites. The extensive wetlands surrounding Lake George and Deep River also have the potential to mitigate flooding for nearby residents. Conservation partners within the Hobart Marsh and Deep River focus area include local, federal and state agencies, land trusts, non-profit organizations, utilities and others. Working together, partners need to collaborate on how to best support conservation targets by identifying and implementing strategies that move their collective goals forward. This 2024 this Conservation Action Plan is a snapshot of the work partners need to engage in, including the City of Hobart and the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission to create “conservation zoning districts” to guide their efforts.
“The vision for this conservation area includes a preserved landscape with a unique municipal ‘conservation district’ zoning that supports appropriate natural area management within an urban area, provides access to natural areas and green space that improves quality of life for surrounding residents and promotes economic development that is sensitive to the biodiversity of the area,” the document states.
Hobart Marsh is a large complex of nature preserves owned and managed by several entities including the Indiana Dunes National Park, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Shirley Heinze Land Trust Lake County Parks and Recreation Department, NIPSCO and others. Hobart Marsh sits on the northwest border of Lake George in Hobart, Indiana. Deep River extends southeast from Lake George and is bordered by extensive riparian habitat. Effective strategies to address threats to conservation targets identified by conservation partners working in this area helps to keep challenges and potential solutions in focus.
There are several threats that could effect this natural habitat, including the building of the largest Data Center in the United States at the southeast side of Lake George, located within .25 miles of Deep River itself. Surface run-off, stormwater and nonpoint source pollution into Deep River and Lake George have also resulted in large algal blooms that reduce habitat health and water quality. These issues require sustained public engagement and assessing best practices for stormwater management. Conservation partners working in this landscape rely on sustained funding opportunities to implement restoration projects at multiple scales. Significant funding from the Sustain Our Great Lakes and Chi-Cal Rivers Fund administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative are essential for long-term goals to be achieved. The same holds true for private funders and local planning commissions.
Conservation strategies in the Hobart Marsh & Deep River focused CAP areas depend on strong leadership from the conservation community, the City of Hobart and the Hobart residents.
Hobart Indiana Environmental References:
2025 EPA Urban Waters Federal Partnership Work Plan: Restoring Duck Creek Tributary, Hobart Marsh Properties Managed by the Indiana DNR, Division of Nature Preserves, and Hobart Marsh Conservation Area known as NIPSCO Row.
2017 – NIRPC – 377 Pages. Deep River Portage Burns Waterway Final: Deep River-Portage Burns Waterway watershed (Figure 1). It is the largest of six watersheds located within the Little Calumet-Galien sub-basin, draining approximately 180 square miles of north central Lake and Porter Counties to Lake Michigan. Some the major streams located within the watershed include Deep River, Main Beaver Dam Ditch, Turkey Creek, and the Little Calumet River’s West Branch. This watershed management plan is the result of numerous communities and organizations coming together to establish a framework to restore the nearly 125 miles of impaired stream within its boundaries.
2024 – Save the Dunes Conservation Action Plan – 50 pages Hobart Marsh And Deep River Conservation Area was designated a Priority 1 Conservation Area by Save the Dunes Executive Summary of 2023
2016 – IDEM – 373 Pages – Deep River Watershed Plan, Click here – The Deep River/Portage Burns watershed, identified as the hydrologic unit code (HUC) watershed 0404000105, covers a drainage area of approximately 180 square miles in northwestern Indiana, of which 104 square miles are located in Lake County, and 20 square miles are located in Porter County. There are approximately 125 miles of impaired streams within the watershed boundary.
2024 EPA – “Great Lakes Restoration Restoration Initiative” – (Grand Calumet River) 20 pages Click here
2020 DNR – Pages 47 and 78 – 81, Northwest Moraine Forest Legacy Areas : CFAA funds are provided to states through the State and Private Forestry (S&PF) organization of the USDA Forest Service. Currently, Indiana receives these funds annually to assist private forest landowners, promote healthy forest practices, assist communities with their urban forests and protect communities from wildfire. A large portion of the CFAA funding received by the Indiana Division of Forestry is passed to local organizations by way of grants that provide matching funds and additional implementation resources.
2018 the City of Hobart and the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Committee (NIRPC) engaged The Lakota Group The PLAN City of Hobart and the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Committee (NIRPC) have initiated a planning process to create a set of zoning standards to guide the use and design of sites within local conservation areas. The goal of this project is not to prohibit development, but to define the opportunities where development can take place in a manner that respects and enhances
conservation areas – both by reducing adverse impacts of adjacent land uses and by improving local access to wildlife where appropriate. The City of Hobart has engaged The Lakota Group along with Duncan Associates to complete this Conservation Zoning and Sub Area Plan.
2002 Chicago State University, (2002) 180 pages, Deep River – Turkey Creek Watershed Management Plan : In the late 1980’s, the City of Hobart, in partnership with a local private economic development organization, began a program to improve the community’s quality of life and retain and expand business within the City that resulted in a multi-phased lakefront development and downtown revitalization plan. Degrading water quality, recreational uses, and aesthetic issues began to pose a threat to the community’s investments in lakefront and downtown revitalization efforts as a growing sedimentation problem in Lake George was becoming obvious. Accumulating sediments were precluding the use of the lake as a recreational resource for boating, degrading habitat for biological communities, and reducing recreational fishing opportunities in the lake. In addition, overgrowing plant life began to cause an aesthetic nuisance to lake residents and recreational enthusiasts
2016 Hobart Marsh Plan (2016) Created by the IDEM, and Lake Michigan Coastal Program – The Deep River/Portage Burns watershed, identified as the hydrologic unit code (HUC) watershed 0404000105, covers a drainage area of approximately 180 square miles in northwestern Indiana, of which 104 square miles are located in Lake County, and 20 square miles are located in Porter County. There are approximately 125 miles of impaired streams within the watershed boundary.
In 2011, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) identified the Deep River-Portage Burns Waterway Watershed as a priority in the Northwest Indiana Watershed Management Framework. The decision to include the watershed as a priority was based on persisting water quality issues, but more importantly, because stakeholders continued to express interest in reinvigorating these past efforts. With substantial changes in land use being evident, there was enough support to update the previous watershed plans into a single comprehensive plan.
Chicago State University (2009) Stewardship in the Calumet Region – Again in partnership with SHLT, IDNR Nature Preserves, and possibly LCP and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Save the Dunes is part of a proposal for contract work and management at Hobart Marsh, a large complex in Hobart Prairie Grove (the majority of which is owned by the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore). Hobart Prairie Grove is a very large complex of wetlands, and the goal is to convert old agricultural fields on the site into restored prairie. Should funding be secured, the project would begin in 2010. The site is in need of prescription fire and cattail control, among other restoration work. Another Great Lakes proposal which Save the Dunes is a part of is one that is an Indiana Department of Environmental Management proposal. This proposal involves restoration at all the dune and swale projects managed by SHLT, STD, IDNR Nature Preserves, TNC, and LCP.
(2025) UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: Gerald Ford School of Public Policy:
What Happens When Data Centers Come To Town : Current technologies force a tradeoff between energy and water efficiency, limiting sustainable solutions. Data Centers Do Not Bring in High Paying Jobs; Data Center Tax Breaks Only Benefit Corporations; Reduces Tax Revenue for School Districts; Higher Energy Rates for Consumers; Higher Resource Consumption; And Much More.
In a CWP Reports, Center for Watershed Protection‘s There Are 100 Scientific Studies On How Urban Development Leads To Habitat Loss, Altered Water Levels And Water‑Flow systems, Changing Sediment buildup And Nutrient Cycles, And Thereby Degrading Wetland Functions. (Center for Watershed Protection)
The Indiana Natural Heritage Data Center (INHDC) represents a comprehensive attempt to determine the state’s most significant natural areas through an extensive statewide inventory. However, the inventory is a continuous process. Over the past 10 years, 57 element occurrences were documented in the watershed including 54 ETR species and 3 high quality natural communities. (Please note, to find this info click here and you’ll find the link at the bottom)
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Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
