Indiana has the dirtiest waterways in the USA

Problems

• Reasons why Indiana has the dirtiest waterways in the USA

  Major river systems in Indiana include the Whitewater, White, Blue, Wabash, St. Joseph, and Maumee rivers. 
  The Wabash River, which is the longest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi River, is the official river of Indiana. At 764 kilometers in length, the river bisects the state from northeast to southwest, forming part of the state's border with Illinois, before converging with the Ohio River. 
  
  The Wabash River has served as a vital conduit for trade, travel, and settlement in the Midwest for more than two centuries. It is inextricably linked to Indiana’s economy and well-being. Apart from its historic significance, the Wabash is also a treasure-chest of rare and endangered species, and serves as the habitat for a wide diversity of plant and animal life.
  
  The Wabash and its connected rivers and streams provide drinking water to 72% of Indiana counties.
  The river is home to 120 endangered, threatened, or rare plants and animals.
  
  In addition to these species, the river is home to 150 species of fish, including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, sauger, rock bass, catfish, and paddlefish – the oldest surviving animal species in North America.
  
  Forests and wetlands along the Wabash River harbor many native species, including osprey, bald eagles, bobcats, river otters, and the Indiana bat.
  
  There are about 900 lakes listed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
  But for decades now, Indiana’s waterways have been the dumping ground for pollutants from multiple sources, resulting in waterways too polluted.
  
  Waterways like the official state river of Indiana, the Wabash River, are contaminated with E. coli and excess nutrients, as well as iron, PCBs in fish tissue and other biological integrity issues.
  
  Much of the problem in Indiana is due to the state’s large animal feedlot sector and discharges from sewage and streams.
  Agricultural runoff is the leading cause of water pollution in the U.S. Some of that is runoff from fertilizer from cropland, but an awful lot of it comes from the factory farms that use to raise livestock.
  
  Big animal feedlots where you’ve got lots and lot of animals confined in a very small space generating mountains of manure are point sources that are supposed to have permits that limit their discharges. That hasn’t happened, and that is a big problem. 
  Combined sewer overflows, untreated stormwater, and wastewater that discharges to nearby streams, rivers, and other water bodies were the largest sources of E. coli bacteria, one of the impairments cited by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 
  Combined sewer overflows have increasingly become a problem for Indiana communities as climate change-altered rainfall patterns and aging infrastructure have led to more communities experiencing problems with overflows. 
  
  According to the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment, climate change has made it so rainfall now falls in heavier bursts over short periods of time, increasing the chance of flooding in some parts of the state.

• Health effects of dirty waterways in Indiana, USA

  E. coli can give people in impaired waters diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, nausea or cause vomiting. In extreme cases, E. coli bacteria can cause kidney failure or death.