History


The history of Lake Monroe

		The Monroe Lake area was, until the early 1700's, undisputed Miami Indian land, even though occupied by both the Miami and Delaware tribes. The lake area was acquired legally from the Indians as part of Harrison's Purchase, by the Treaty of Fort Wayne, on September 30,1809. The first recorded white settlers arrived in 1815, but were undoubtedly preceded by hunters and refugees from the law. A typical landholder farmed a few acres claimed from the woods and harvested the plentiful wild game of the area. Many of the original settlers were thrifty and industrious, although squatters and land speculators abounded, seeking to make a fortune in the new territory. The rolling hills of southern Indiana produced tremendous amounts of lumber from native stands of poplar, maple, cherry, walnut, and ash. Forest clearing allowed development of a farming economy which still a local mainstay.

	Location :

			Monroe Lake is situated in Monroe, Brown, and Jackson Counties in south central Indiana. The lake is located near Bloomington, Indiana.

Today's Weather

Local Radar

Lake Temp.




For Boat Rental or Lodging, Check the Yellow Pages Button above.

Purpose :
Monroe Lake was authorized under the Flood Control Act of 1938. The Louisville District of the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers designed, built, and operates the project to reduce flood damages downstream from the dam. The dam is about 10 miles southeast of Bloomington, Indiana, on Salt Creek, a tributary of the East Fork White River.

When heavy rains occur, surface water runoff is stored in the lake until swollen streams and rivers below the dam have receded and can handle the release of the stored water without damage to lives and property.

Benefits :
Construction began in November 1960 and the lake became operational in February 1965. Since its completion, Monroe Lake has prevented more then $38 million in flood damage, or more than twice its original cost of $16.5 million.

In addition to flood protection and recreation, Corps lake provide immeasurable benefits to the local economy.

Click Here for Information on
the Hoosier National Forest

After a long day in the sun, either at the beach, or boating, take a nice relaxing walk in the secluded woods of Monroe State Forest.

Hoosier National Forest Info

woods

boaters

Monroe Lake offers year-round recreation. These boaters enjoyed a warm afternoon on the lake.


	© 1998 Defcon1, www.lake-monroe.com , Publication and Kevin Plummer. Copyrights for all materials on this web site are held by the individual authors, artists, photographers or creators. Materials may not be reproduced or otherwise distributed without permission of www.lake-monroe.com and the content's original author.