Mississinewa Lake’s increasing water levels recently broke a 33-year-old record.
On Wednesday the lake rose to more than 34.5 feet above the summer pool level. The water in the area hadn’t been to that height since 1982, and the water continued to rise reaching 35.2 feet above summer pool by Thursday. The record-setting water levels have resulted in headaches for the campground staff, but without the reservoir Peru could have been in a dire situation.
Constructed at the behest of U.S. Representative J. Edward Roush, the Salamonie, Roush and Mississinewa Lakes were designed to alleviate flooding in Logansport, Wabash and Peru.
According to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Supervisor Scot Dahms, Peru experienced major flooding in 1913, 1943 and 1957. All of these floods had an impact on Peru to varying degrees. However, similar floods haven’t occurred in the city since the completion of the Mississinewa Dam in 1968. This statement, said Dahms, wouldn’t hold true with the record-setting rain levels that recently occurred.
“At the tail end of June we set records for rain,” said Dahms. “There were 13 or 14 inches for the last two weeks in June. That’s a pretty good amount. If those reservoirs weren’t there, there would be an impact on those downstream towns.”
Larry Brown, property manager of Mississinewa Campgrounds, concurs with Dahms.
“It’d be terrible,” said Brown. “I can’t imagine that it would have been anything less devastating than (the flood of 1912).
While the city has been spared major damage by the lakes, Mississinewa Campgrounds aren’t fairing as well. Continually rising lake levels have flooded large portions of the area.
The campground’s beach, boat ramps and several roads all remain under water. The campground’s concession stand is also entirely underwater, but the staff was able to remove the equipment from the structure before it flooded.
Campgrounds staff have also begun to move the facility’s cabins. Located near Boswick Pond on the south end of the reservoir, the lake’s waters began reaching the cabins on Thursday. Staff members were forced to take pontoon boats out to the location, because the roads are flooded, and place a cabin on pipes and lumber. The structure was then moved using a half ton truck. The process had to be repeated Friday morning on another cabin as well with the water levels continuing to rise. The staff was also in the process of moving a third to higher ground on Friday afternoon as a precaution.
“We can’t wait until Sunday to see what the water will do,” said Brown. “We have to stay ahead of it with the cabins.”
Additionally, campground staffers were required to move about 400 picnic tables to dry ground.
Once the lake’s waters recede, Brown said a lot of work will need to be done before the campgrounds can reopen. The 400 picnic tables will need to be placed back into position along with the cabins. Debris will also likely litter portions of the campgrounds with the Mississinewa River bringing in debris from upstream, portions debris never littered before with water levels reaching unheard of levels.
Brown predicts signage, electrical repairs and fencing will also need to be replaced.
“We’ll hopefully be able to open up other areas as we go,” said Brown. “We’ll try to get the ramp open first then we’ll get the campgrounds open.”
As a result of the flooding, all of the facilities in the campground, other than the main office, are without power too. Electricity was killed in those areas because the water levels were reaching almost as high as the power lines.
Being completely determined by the weather, Brown doesn’t know when the flooding event will end.
“They’re predicting substantial rain Sunday and Monday,” said Brown. “If that stands it’s got nowhere to go but here. We’re still taking on more water from the Mississinewa River than we’re releasing so we’re still rising.”