The White River fish kill in 1999 was one of those environmental incidents that never should have happened. The chemical spill from Guide devastated the river and killed millions of fish. But that seems to be all behind us now as the Department of Natural Resources just released a report saying White River has completely recovered from the spill.
Of course, it didn’t just happen. A lot of local people and folks in Hamilton and Marion counties have pitched in to make the river a continuing cleaning project. Guide was eventually heavily fined by the state, and that money went to making the river whole again.
Last fall, the DNR collected 7,000 fish from 57 species in the river between Anderson and Indianapolis. Just the sheer variety indicates the river is clean, according to Angie Manuel, natural interpreter at Mounds State Park. Some fish, she explained, cannot stand any pollution. Other wildlife, such as fish-eating birds, are making a comeback along the river.
Manual said it takes a long time for nature to heal. Helping the healing process along has been the White River Watchers, who clean the river twice a year, pulling out junk and trash that shouldn’t be there in the first place. Still, people continue to use the river as a dump. The group cannot remove chemical contaminants, though there’s been really none of that since the Guide incident in 1999. As tragic as that spill was, it brought attention to the importance of the river to residents. It’s the main source of drinking water, a wildlife habitat, a source of recreation and a reserve for all types of foliage.
Polluting the river comes at a high cost, and not just to the polluter who is fined. We now know it takes years to get the river back to normal. It’s gratifying to see the comeback the river has made and to know that the effects of the fish kill spill are gone. Now we have to be vigilant, as groups like the White River Watchers are, to see that the river stays pristine and never again suffers such a debilitating attack.
Editorials
Related Photos
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A rose floats on the White River near Camp Chesterfield. The river has recovered from a large chemical spill 10 years ago, according to a Department of Natural Resources report. Don Knight
Discussion
Editorial: Vigilance still needed to guard White River
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