Making partnerships work on the ground and in the water

Two situations in Indiana illustrate the use of aquatic habitat partnership concepts.  The first DNR led local aquatic habitat partnership was organized around a unique Ohio River oxbow lake in extreme southwest Indiana.  Most of the property is in control of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or Hovey Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area.  The lake and associated marshes are managed for public waterfowl hunting.  The partnership enabled a landscape scale analysis of the problems facing Hovey Lake and allowed fisheries biologists and other interested partners to have input into developing strategies for future management of the property.  The second situation involved working with a local soil and water conservation district to enhance opportunities to restore damaged aquatic habitats by using settlement monies from a fish kill.  Criteria were developed to select projects that would affect the physical aquatic habitat in the area that otherwise may not be addressed by projects focused on water quality.   Priority aquatic habitat maps were developed and instream habitat, connected wetlands and stream flashiness were identified as project features that could be enhanced with restoration funds.  A similar approach could be used for aquatic habitat partnership funds.