Griffy Lake to be drained for dam repairs

Fishing, kayaking, canoeing, hiking — if you haven’t taken advantage of what Griffy Lake Nature Preserve has to offer, you had better do it soon. The small reservoir just north of campus will be drained this summer for repairs on the reservoir’s dam.
 
The dam suffers from cracks and other problems requiring attention.

The dam water must be drained in order to facilitate fixing these dam maintenance issues, said Jon Callahan, City of Bloomington Utilities spokesperson.

“Dam-related repairs are tentatively scheduled to begin in September 2012,”
Callahan said.

The repairs are made possible by a federal grant requiring the work to be completed by the end of 2013. A portion of trails near the dam and the dog park will be shut down to allow shoreline repairs and the regrowth of trampled vegetation.
 
Water from Griffy Lake runs into the White River, and a large portion of the aquatic life will find a way downstream once the draining begins, said Steve Cotter, national resource manager for Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department. Cotter said it is also a goal to leave small amounts of water in low spots on the lake bed where possible.

“Like a natural system that has its wet and dry years, the wildlife will rebound,” Cotter said. In the summer of 2010, for example, water levels dropped low enough to suspend the use of boats, and the lake bed was exposed in several places after a year of dry weather, according to the City of Bloomington website.

The 1,179-acre nature preserve on North Headley Road is walking or biking distance from IU.

Hiking trails zigzag over forested hills and through ravines echoing the sounds of the creeks that trickle down to the 109-acre lake. Adjacent is the Indiana University Research and Teaching Preserve. Along with other properties throughout the region, this preserve provides IU students with a place to take their research and learning into the real world.

Griffy Lake is a fishing hotspot with species including channel catfish, bluegill and large-mouth bass.

With the draining of the lake in the near future, an emergency rule change has been established to help clear the fish from the lake before it is drained.

“Maintenance of the Griffy Lake dam will require draining Griffy Lake this summer,” according to the City of Bloomington website. “In order to make the best use of the fishery prior to the lowering of the lake, the Department of Natural Resources has removed the large-mouth bass size limit and has doubled the daily bag limit for all species.”