Understand Indiana's water
Executive Order 25-63 calls for raising public awareness about water conservation. Good decisions start with understanding where our water comes from and how we measure it.
How Indiana's water works
Rivers & streams
Rain and snowmelt drain across the land into creeks and rivers. A streamgage measures how much water passes a point each second — discharge, in cubic feet per second. Watch it rise after a storm and recede over days.
Aquifers below us
Much of Indiana's water is underground, in aquifers. Monitoring wells track the depth to water — how far down the water table sits. It falls in dry seasons and under heavy pumping, and recovers when recharge returns.
Everyone's in a watershed
A watershed (or sub-basin) is the land area that drains to a common waterway. What happens upstream reaches downstream — which is why Indiana plans water by sub-basin, not just by county.
Everyday conservation
At home
- Fix leaks — a dripping faucet can waste thousands of gallons a year.
- Water lawns deeply but less often, and in the early morning.
- Choose native and drought-tolerant plants that thrive on Indiana rainfall.
In the community
- Protect streamside buffers that filter runoff and steady flows.
- Capture rainwater and reduce paved runoff where you can.
- Follow local guidance during dry spells and low-flow advisories.