What are the Report Card Indicators?
The White River Report Card has three broad indicator categories: COMMUNITY, LAND, and WATER. These three categories are made up of six indicators each which measure different aspects of the watershed. See how each of these indicators score by exploring the watershed and regional grades HERE.
The Community section category evaluates the human facets of the watershed through the following indicators:
Affordability
Is a composite of the amount of income spent on housing and transportation costs, and the percent of households paying more than 30% of Income for housing.
Data sources: Center for Neighborhood Technology, US Census Bureau
Environmental Burden
Evaluates a person’s potential exposure to environmental pollution based on population and the presence of air pollution, hazardous sites, transportation infrastructure, water pollution, and lead-based paint.
Data source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Environmental Justice Index 2022
Health
Evaluates the percent of population with health insurance coverage and the percent of population living in area with high burdens of chronic health conditions. Chronic health conditions include asthma, cancer, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure.
Data source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Census Bureau
Economy
Evaluates the estimated unemployment rate for the labor force over age 16, population living below federal poverty line, and the annual change in Gross Domestic Product (aggregated per-capita).
Data sources: US Census Bureau, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Bureau of Economic Analysis
Education
Evaluates the percent of the population 25 or older with at least a high school diploma or equivalent.
Data source: US Census Bureau
Voter Participation
Evaluates the percent of non-incarcerated voting-age population who cast a presidential vote in 2020.
Data source: Redistricting Data Hub
The Land section category evaluates the natural and built environment of the watershed through the following indicators:
Parks & Trails
Evaluates the number of people per park, park acreage per person, and miles of trail per 1,000 residents.
Data sources: US Census Bureau, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Trust for Public Land ParkServe, various county-level GIS files
Development Practices
Evaluates the percent of properties with flood damage risk, percent of floodplain developed, and acres of development per person.
Data sources: FloodFactor, USGS National Land Cover Database, US Census Bureau
Agricultural Practices
Evaluates the percent of farmland using Best Management Practices of cover crops and minimum or no tillage.
Data sources: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Cropland Data, Indiana Conservation Partnership
Tree Canopy
Evaluates the percent change in tree canopy cover (from 2011 to 2019).
Data source: USGS National Land Cover Database
Wetland Change
Evaluates the percent change in wetland area (from 2011 to 2019).
Data source: USGS National Land Cover Database
Wildlife Diversity
Evaluates the presence of wildlife indicator species.
Data sources: IDNR Indiana Natural Heritage Data, Global Biodiversity Information Facility
The Water category evaluates the quality and quantity of the river and its tributaries through the following indicators:
Nutrients
Evaluates the median concentration of Nitrogen as Nitrate + Nitrate (N+N as N) and Total Phosphorus in the waterway.
Data sources: Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Muncie Bureau of Water Quality, Indianapolis Department of Public Works
Sediment
Evaluates the frequency of Total Suspended Solids exceeding maximum thresholds (25 mg/L) in the waterway.
Data sources: Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Muncie Bureau of Water Quality, Marion County Public Health Department, Indianapolis Department of Public Works
Bacteria
Evaluates the concentration and frequency of E.coli exceeding maximum threshold (235 CFU/100 mg/L) in the waterway.
Data sources: Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Muncie Bureau of Water Quality, Marion County Public Health Department, Indianapolis Department of Public Works
Aquatic Life
Evaluates the fish community and in-stream habitat quality of the waterway.
Data sources: Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Muncie Bureau of Water Quality
Demand
Was not graded due to insufficient regional data. It is intended to evaluate water use per capita and/or water supply and demand by region.
Flooding
Was not graded due to insufficient historical data. It is intended to evaluate flooding frequency based on peak rainfall events and runoff coefficients calculated by land cover type. This indicator will be graded in future report card updates.
