Salamonie work nears completion

Construction work that has been taking place over the past few years at Salamonie Lake is in its final stages of completion, according to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “It’s coming to a close,” said Chase Wilson, lake manager.   The Salamonie Lake Tailwater Recreation Area has been closed for construction on the Outlet Retreat Channel since the project was announced on March 4, 2021. “We still don’t have a definitive date for completion but we are in the final stages and wrapping things up,” Wilson said. “It will be nice.” The construction project will prevent further erosion in the retreat channel and to build a service road for future maintenance needs. The service road will not be open to the public for vehicular traffic, although it will be open to pedestrians and bicycles. The public will be able to access the road from the Salamonie State Forest  parking area at Hominy Ridge, and roadside parking where allowed. The new staircase on the east side will provide a safer path down from the parking lot of the tailwater recreation area. The closure included shelter areas and restrooms, and access to the tailwater from Hominy Ridge. Also, there will be no fishing in the tailwater. Contractors have been onsite armoring the retreat channel to prevent future erosion. This was a planned construction activity, routine in nature and did not cause any impacts to the function of the dam.