Versailles Lake Town Hall Meeting Set For August 24

Residents, businesses, elected officials and DNR to talk about the future of Versailles State Park Lake

(Versailles, Ind.) - For generations, Versailles State Park Lake has been part of life in southeastern Indiana. Families have fished from its banks, children have learned to paddle on its water, campers have watched the sunset from nearby campsites, and visitors have come from near and far to enjoy one of the most recognizable features of Indiana’s second-largest state park.

The writers and local experts of Family Destinations Guide put it this way, “At the heart of the park is Versailles Lake, a 230-acre reservoir that is, without question, one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the entire state. The lake sits in a natural bowl formed by the surrounding forested hills, and the effect is something close to magical.

On a calm morning, the water is so still and reflective that the tree line above it appears twice, once in the forest and once in the mirror of the lake below. It’s the kind of view that makes you reach for your phone to take a photo, and then makes you put your phone back in your pocket because no photo is going to do it justice anyway.”

In the History Room of the Nature Center in the park is a plaque that describes the beginning of the lake in a less poetic manner. It states:

“In 1953, a dam was built across Laughery Creek to build Versailles Lake. Its purpose was for recreation and to provide a water supply for the town of Versailles. Prison labor was used to help clear the land.”

“Originally intended to cover over 700 acres, its size was reduced to 230 acres due to land acquisition issues. Considering the reduced size and depth, the lifespan of the lake will be short.”

“Due to the enormous flow of water into the lake which becomes a catch basin, a huge amount of sediment is deposited with each heavy runoff of water into the lake. It is filling in with sediment and will eventually become a marshy wetland with the creek flowing through it.”

That gloomy forecast about sediment filling in the lake has reached the point that it is hard to ignore. By the late 1980s, roughly two-thirds of the lake’s capacity was already occupied by sediment, with only about one-third of the original water volume remaining. By 2050, projections expect the lake to reach 100% sediment fill if no action is taken.

The Polar Plunge event traditionally held at Versailles Lake, which benefits Special Olympics Indiana, has been informed it must relocate in the near future, suggesting that the decision to remove the lake may already be underway.

A group of local residents and small business owners, ICareAboutVersaillesStatePark.org, is working to make sure that the lake remains a vital element of the region’s future. And they are asking why Versailles State Park has gone for decades without proper maintenance of the dam or the lake.

The group, with other involved citizens, wants to bring more attention, transparency and public discussion to the condition and long-term future of the lake.

One of the grassroot campaign’s strongest features is that it is built around information. Through the website Save Versailles State Park Lake, organizers have gathered materials related to the lake and dam, including technical reports, sediment and creek information, financial DNR documents, design materials and public-records requests. A copy of correspondence sent to Representative Erin Houchin highlights key issues.

The organizers encourage residents to read, ask questions and contact officials about how decisions are being made and how funds are being allocated.

There is also an opportunity on the website to sign a petition and to express your opinion and hopes for the lake. Main Street Versailles has seen the responses from over 5,700 people to date.

To start the conversation they are planning a Versailles Lake Town Hall Meeting for 6 pm, Monday, August 24, at the Versailles Community Center, 128 N Main St, Versailles, IN 47042.

The goal is to bring residents, business owners, elected officials and representatives from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources into the same room to review information, discuss realistic next steps and build the public support needed to move from concern to action.

The message behind the effort is clear: before the future of Versailles State Park Lake is decided, the public deserves to understand the facts, the costs, the options and the consequences.

Saving a lake is rarely simple. It can involve engineering studies, funding debates, environmental rules, economic impact and long timelines. But the first step is the same: people decide the place is worth the effort.