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Soil & Water seeks consultant funding, Notre Dame research and new stormwater program manager
Summary
Elkhart County Soil and Water presented a budget that includes grant‑funded equipment purchases, a year of watershed research by University of Notre Dame, and a proposed reclassification to create a stormwater program manager to handle rising construction‑site inspections and a new contractor‑led training program.
Jim Hess, manager of the Elkhart County Soil and Water Conservation District, told county council that the district’s 2026 operating budget includes modest increases to professional services and part‑time pay and that a recently awarded state Clean Water Indiana grant will help fund equipment and programs.
Hess said a $150,000 Clean Water Indiana award to Elkhart County will pay for equipment and program costs; the district is also partnering with the University of Notre Dame on a year of watershed research led by Dr. Jennifer Tank to study surface and groundwater conditions in the Elkhart River and St. Joseph River basins. Hess said the study is intended to provide a stronger regional data base to guide future development and infrastructure planning.
The nut graf: the district is shifting more stormwater inspection work to contractors and proposing a job reclassification to create a stormwater program manager whose duties would include oversight of 300 active construction sites, outreach and the new CSGP (“construction stormwater general permit”) training program for contractors.
Hess said GIS and contractor costs are rising and that part of the district’s request is to support conference attendance and training; he told council the district is experimenting with consultant GIS rather than a single in‑house coordinator because modern GIS needs often require a team of specialists.
CSGP training and inspections: Hess described a new 90‑minute short course (referred to as “CSGP and me”) intended to educate contractors, engineers and developers and reduce confrontational enforcement on sites. He said the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) is reviewing the program and may adopt it as part of state permitting as a “first line of defense,” which could reduce enforcement actions and help keep construction projects moving while protecting water resources.
Job reclassification and enforcement model: Hess said one staff position would be reclassified to a stormwater program manager responsible for inspections, outreach and program coordination; some routine inspection duties would shift to private contractors. He argued the change is a response to the volume of active sites and the difficulty of recruiting a single staffer with the broad range of modern GIS and stormwater skills.
Ending: Council members asked for details on personnel and how grant funds and consultant contracts would be used; Hess offered to provide further line‑item detail, and staff indicated they would review the proposed reclassification and contractor plan during the continued budget process.
