Update 4/22/26: IDEM has extended the public comment period to May 1st, and will be holding a virtual public hearing on the Water Quality Certificate for Phase III of the Project Zodiac Data Center. The public hearing will be held virtually over Microsoft Teams on Thursday, April 30th, beginning at 5 pm ET. Information on how to join the hearing can be viewed at the public hearing notice. Show up and make your voice heard to help protect wetlands!
If you have any questions related to the permit, please reach out to WaterwaysComments@idem.IN.gov.
Help us call for a public hearing!
We are requesting that the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) hold a public hearing regarding the 401 Water Quality Certificate so that residents, organizations, and interested parties concerned about Indiana’s water quality and wetland loss can have an opportunity to speak out about the permit.
About the permit
The public comment period is open for a Section 401 Water Quality Certificate to facilitate the Phase III expansion of the Project Zodiac Data Center. The permit will permanently impact 3,415 linear feet of Adams Ditch, resulting in the relocation/establishment of 3,255 linear feet of new, open stream channel; temporarily impact 68 linear feet of Doctor Ditch, and convert a 0.84 acre forested wetland to a herbaceous wetland.
Hoosier Environmental Council encourages nearby residents and concerned citizens to utilize the public comment process to express any questions and concerns.
Comments are due by May 1, 2026.
Project location: 858-acre parcel east of Adams Center Road, north of E Tillman Road, south of Logistics Drive, and west of the CFE Railroad, Fort Wayne, Allen County. View location on a map.
Public notice: https://www.in.gov/idem/files/notice_20260403_401_wqc001454.pdf.
Full permit application can be viewed here.
Where should I send public comments?
Public comments can be sent via email to WaterwaysComments@idem.IN.gov. Be sure to include the permit number (WQC001454) in the subject line of your comments. You can also use our public comment submission form above.
What should I include in my public comment?
Below is a list of key considerations and concerns related to wetlands and water quality that you can copy and paste into your comment, or adapt to your own concerns. For additional tips on how to draft your comment and things to consider, visit https://www.hecweb.org/issues/water-wilderness/water-protection/public-comments/.
Indiana has already lost too many wetlands
- Indiana sits in the headwater region of the Mississippi River watershed – the fourth largest drainage system on the planet. Once home to a vast number of wetlands that helped to filter, purify, store, and recharge large quantities of water – those wetlands are now gone. Indiana has lost over 85 percent of its original wetland extent due to conversion, draining, and filling. And now, wetland protections are being repealed more than ever. We must protect our remaining wetlands for the benefits they provide – flood control, aquifer recharge, improved water quality, wildlife habitat, recreation, and for food and fiber.
Indiana’s water quality is suffering
- Over 70 percent of our streams are considered unsafe for swimming and water contact recreation and Indiana has the most miles of impaired waterways compared to any other state. Without intact wetland ecosystems, we significantly hinder a watershed’s ability to filter pollutants. It is imperative that we protect our remaining wetlands, rivers, and streams so that we can work towards improving water quality and recreational opportunities statewide.
Indiana’s wetland mitigation program is failing to protect Hoosiers
- Indiana’s current wetland mitigation program is failing to replace wetlands needed to offset wetland losses and improve water quality. In other words, wetland loss is outpacing wetland replacement, leading to water quality impairments. In addition, this cumulative loss of wetlands is having a measurable negative impact on residents, particularly from a water quality standpoint. These two facts, which emerged from a study commissioned by the Indiana State Legislature and released in the subsequent Indiana Wetlands Task Force Report, signals that urgent and cooperative action beyond existing laws should be utilized so that the nation’s waters are not significantly degraded and Hoosiers aren’t negatively impacted.
Local considerations
- Look up the water quality of the impacted waterway using IDEM’s 303(d) Impaired Waterways tool.
- Look through the wetland delineation report to determine when it was completed. Many permit applications have been coming through with wetland delineations completed outside of the typical growing season (March-October), which is contrary to guidelines and may need to be redone.
- A wetland delineation is a report that is required to be submitted as a part of a wetland permit. It identifies all wetlands on site and summarizes the field survey that was completed on the development site.
Categories: Public Notices, Wetlands