Urban Waters and the Northwest Indiana Area (Indiana)
Whihala Beach at Lake Michigan
(Photo credit: Eric Allix Rogers)
Photo Gallery for Northwest Indiana Area (Indiana)
Located along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, NWI contains a range of both rural and urban land uses. The region juxtaposes heavy industry with natural treasures and includes, for example, both the Grand Calumet River Area of Concern and the Indiana Dunes National Park. Like its diverse communities, NWI’s waterways each have unique characteristics, assets, and challenges.
Since 2011, the Urban Waters - NWI Partnership has been working to protect, restore, and revitalize urban waterways in Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties. Co-led by the US Forest Service (USFS), National Park Service (NPS), and US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the NWI Urban Waters Partnership includes more than 70 local, state, and federal partners.NWI was one of the original Urban Waters Federal Partnership locations and follows the national guiding principles which include working to promote clean urban waters and connect people to their local waterways.
List of Partners
- U.S. Department of Transportation
- Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Housing and Urban Development
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
- U.S. Forest Service
- U.S. Geological Survey
- National Park Service
- Corporation for National and Community Service
- Department of Environmental Management
- Department of Natural Resources
- Department of Health
- City of Michigan City
- City of Gary
- City of East Chicago
- Town of Hobart
- Town of Chesterton
- City of Valparaiso
- Town of Merrillville
- LaPorte County Soil and Water
- Conservation District
- LaPorte County Health Department
- Porter County Health Department
- Lake County Health Department
- LaPorte County Parks and Recreation
- Porter county Tourism
- Porter County Parks and Recreation
- Lake County Parks and Recreation
- Alliance for the Great Lakes
- Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
- Purdue University
- Northwest Indiana Paddling Association
- Wildlife Habitat Council
- Wilderness Inquiry
- Save the Dunes Conservation Fund
- Northwest Indiana Steelheaders Audubon Society
- Northern Indiana Public Service Company
- Northwestern Indiana Planning commission
- Unity Foundation
- Cardno JFNew
- Legacy Foundation
- Coffee Creek Watershed Conservancy
- Shirley Heinze Land Trust
- Izaak Walton League
- The Nature Conservancy
- Haas & Associates Engineers
- Northwest Indiana Forum
- Blue Green Alliance
- Openlands
- Wolf Lake Initiative
- Chicago Field Museum
- TalTree Arboretum
- Shedd Aquarium