STATEHOUSE (May 15, 2023) – State Rep. Michael Aylesworth's (R-Hebron) legislation helping Indiana counties address local flooding, drainage and water quality issues is now law.
Aylesworth said he authored the new law to help communities partner together to achieve similar success to the Kankakee River Basin and Yellow River Basin Development Commission. The local commission is made up of eight counties, which work together to tackle a wide range of water resource planning and development issues like bank stabilization, tree removal and channel reconstruction.
"This new law is a culmination of a lot of hard work crafting legislation to allow more communities to replicate the structure and success of the Kankakee and Yellow River Basin Commission," said Aylesworth, a member of the House Environmental Affairs Committee. "This launches Indiana into a very important and impactful era of regional water planning. Our waterways span multiple counties, and so it requires a group effort to solve flooding and drainage issues, and plan for our future."
With the new law, which takes effect July 1, counties sharing a watershed can form their own partnerships with approval from the Natural Resources Commission. Newly formed commissions will develop flood damage reduction and drainage plans. Groups can also create water-quality improvement plans with approval by the state. The new commissions can also enter into agreements with cities or towns to boost efforts and funding support. According to Aylesworth, commissions will be governed by a board that includes DNR representatives, surveyors, and county members.
The Kankakee River Basin and Yellow River Basin Development Commission, first established in 2019 by the Indiana General Assembly, continues to serve Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Marshall, Newton, Porter, St. Joseph and Starke counties.
To learn more about new state laws, visit in.gov/gov/newsroom/2023-bill-watch/.
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State Rep. Michael Aylesworth (R-Hebron) represents House District 11,
which includes portions of Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
