A partnership of individuals, agencies, and organizations of Illinois and Indiana dedicated to providing a unified approach to conservation in the Lower Wabash.

CURRENT LEADERSHIP

CHAIRMAN: Carrie Parmenter, Lower Wabash Project Director, The Nature Conservancy

VICE-CHAIRMAN: Megan Ritterskamp, Resource Specialist; Indiana State Department of Agriculture

Secretary/Treasurer: Jewel Brooks, White County Soil and Water Conservation District of Illinois

SOIL HEALTH & NUTRIENTS SUB-COMMITTEE: Colson Doyle, Resource Specialist; Indiana State Department of Agriculture

WILDLIFE HABITAT SUB-COMMITTEE: Zachary Schoenherr, Property Manager Hovey Lake FWA, Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Articles of Incorporation

LWP ORGANIZATIONAL BREAKDOWN

  • Click the black box above for a summary of the wildlife subcommittee meeting.

6-26-2025 Wildlife Subcommittee Meeting Notes

  • Summary of Soil Health and Nutrients Subcommittee Meeting and Actions

  • Description text goes here

  • 8:00 AM CT

Meeting Zoom Link

Informational Video & Quotes

“The Nature Conservancy has restored more than 100,000 acres of floodplain in the Wabash River Basin. By leveraging technology and community partnerships we are building upon these achievements to further promote the health and resilience of the Wabash River”
— Carrie Parmenter

The Lower Wabash River basin is important habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. It holds a vast landscape of floodplain forest habitat that is extremely valuable to human communities as well. TNC and several partners are working together to implement a targeted and low-impact approach to achieve conservation goals in collaboration with the local farming community.

Click Here for the History of the Lower Wabash Partnership

History of the Lower Wabash Partnership

The Lower Wabash Partnership provides an opportunity for a variety of interested parties to align goals and strategies to provide a cohesive and unified approach to conservation. By combining our voices and actions, the Lower Wabash Partnership will accelerate the rate of adoption by learning from each other and coordinating efforts.

Members include individuals and representatives from a diverse group working across county and state lines to network for positive outcomes.

Summary, Research, Discussions

Part I

Ecosystem Enhancement Plan

Figures and Maps

Part II

Stakeholder Outreach, Literature Review

Part III

Appendix D, E, F, G

Part IV

Cottonwood Slough Wetland Restoration

Information provided by Zachary Schoenherr

This video was made by Ducks Unlimited and it captures the construction of the wetland restoration project. The project partners include TNC, DU and Twin Bridge Outdoor traditions.

This project involved transforming 146 acres of farmland into a shallow water wetland. The levees were built in fall of 2023 and the water well was installed in September of 2025. This wetland has already attracted thousands of migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. We have observed three bird species in the wetland that are new county records. These species include Whooping Crane, Black-necked Stilt and Upland Sandpiper.

Otter Marsh Expansion

Information Provided by Zachary Schoenherr

This project included expanding Otter Marsh from 8 acres to 32 acres. The levees were built in August 2025. This will be the first fall that we put water in the new wetland.

Please Join Us

Click Here to RSVP

Please RSVP as soon as possible. Only 100 spots available! You can RSVP by scanning the QR Code provided to the left on the flyer or simply click the button above that will direct you to the form. We hope to see you on March 3rd, 2026!