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Delta Institute, 35 E. Wacker, Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60601

312-554-0900

delta@delta-institute.org

Water Quality

Publications

Green Infrastructure Designs: Best Management Practices for Replicability

September 1, 2021

Conservation in Illinois: Hotspot Analysis and Implications for Program Design

August 9, 2021

Land Acquisition Strategy: Michigan City

December 3, 2020

Regenerative Agriculture Factsheet for Public Agencies

October 26, 2020

City of Gary Green Infrastructure Plan

October 9, 2020

Projects

Restoring The Duck Creek Tributary In Northwest Indiana

Restoring The Duck Creek Tributary In Northwest Indiana

Delta Institute is restoring a key waterway in Hobart, Indiana, that flows throughout the entire watershed and ultimately into Lake Michigan. Currently the waterway, the Duck Creek Tributary, overflows with pollution, sediment, and toxins—impacting the water quality downstream for many communities, including multiple that are designated Environmental Justice (EJ) communities.

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Expanding and Stewarding Regional Forest Canopy via a Tree Planting Consortium in Northwest Indiana

Expanding and Stewarding Regional Forest Canopy via a Tree Planting Consortium in Northwest Indiana

Delta Institute (Delta) is working with municipal, business, and community partners in Lake County, Indiana to expand regional forest canopy acreage via an innovative multi-community approach to comprehensive canopy mapping; forest planning, installing 2,240+ trees, and expanding maintenance and capacity building. These efforts will be achieved via a collaborative tree planting consortium structure with foundational inclusive community engagement throughout the entire process.

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Overcoming Barriers to Municipal Green Infrastructure Implementation

Overcoming Barriers to Municipal Green Infrastructure Implementation

Delta Institute (Delta) is examining the barriers preventing Green Infrastructure from being installed across the Great Lakes at the scale needed to address climate change. Delta’s research will inform the development of potential support services that will help municipalities overcome these barriers and improve local water quality, reduce flooding, and improve quality-of-life for their residents.

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Proactive Municipal Climate Planning: Delta Institute and the Resilience Innovation Hub

Proactive Municipal Climate Planning: Delta Institute and the Resilience Innovation Hub

Delta Institute (Delta) joined the Resilience Innovation Hub, focused on increasing community adaptability while lowering insurance premiums. We are undertaking activities focused on understanding the barriers to implementing resilience activities at the local and regional scale while creating innovative solutions to assist communities to implement projects and initiatives to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

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Land Stewardship in Southeast Michigan

Land Stewardship in Southeast Michigan

Delta Institute (Delta) seeks to engage landowners, land managers, and farmers to implement conservation practices in Southeastern Michigan, thus improving environmental outcomes. To better understand the socioeconomic, environmental, and political dynamics that impact the success of agricultural conservation programs in Southeast Michigan, Delta compiled and summarized data on producer demographics, land use, cropping area, tenure status, conservation practices, and conservation program participation and outcomes.

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Phosphorus Reduction in the Kalamazoo River Watershed

Phosphorus Reduction in the Kalamazoo River Watershed

Delta Institute (Delta) created a market and performance-based agricultural incentive program to reduce phosphorus loading in the Kalamazoo River Watershed associated with agricultural sources. Participating farmers entered bids to achieve phosphorus loading reductions at the lowest cost by implementing conservation practices. Farmers whose bids are accepted are paid to achieve those reductions.

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Pay-for-Performance Agricultural Conservation: Rabbit River Watershed

Pay-for-Performance Agricultural Conservation: Rabbit River Watershed

Delta Institute (Delta) created a performance-based program for implementing agricultural best management practices to address sediment loading associated with agricultural sources, such as cropland erosion, livestock access, and road/bridge crossings that impacts habitat and water quality in the Rabbit River. Performance-based programs are a targeted approach to investing in conservation when traditional funding is limited. Instead of paying for specific farm practices, this project directs payments that are based on the net environmental improvements resulting from a comprehensive set of practices.

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Stormwater Tree Planting on the Hart Montague Trail in Oceana County, Michigan

Stormwater Tree Planting on the Hart Montague Trail in Oceana County, Michigan

Stormwater runoff from parking lots, roadways, buildings, and other impervious surfaces carries oils, grease, pesticides, sediment, and excess nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen into groundwater and nearby natural bodies of water--including to Lake Michigan through watershed tributaries. Due to the increased frequency and severity of storms as a result of global climate change, volumes of stormwater runoff continue to increase. Delta Institute (Delta) and our partners are planting more than 700 trees in Oceana County, Michigan along the Hart Montague Trail, and on roadways within five adjacent communities.

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Creating a Green Infrastructure Plan for Gary, Indiana

Creating a Green Infrastructure Plan for Gary, Indiana

Delta Institute's Gary Green Infrastructure Plan was a two-year project focused on assisting the City of Gary with planning and implementing Green Infrastructure designs, identifying 61 Priority Projects to install 26 acres of rain gardens, permeable pavements, street planters, and other GI designs, collectively reducing the negative impacts of 132 million gallons of stormwater annually. The GI Plan was approved and officially adopted as part of the City of Gary Comprehensive Plan in Fall 2019.

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