Posted on May 3, 2023
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District in the process of updating the Shoreline Management Plan for Cecil M. Harden Lake located in Rockville, Indiana, and recently held two open house events to provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the new plan. To accommodate public availability, the workshops were held Saturday, April 15 and Tuesday, April 18 at the Bellmore Fire Department in Rockville, Indiana.
“The open house held over the weekend was attended by 80 to 100 people,” said Louisville District project manager, Deryck Rodgers. “We did pickup on a few things that we need to address in the plan based on a few comments, and we’ve made that note.”
The Cecil M. Harden Shoreline Management Plan is being updated due to USACE assuming sole responsibility of the program. The plan has previously been jointly managed by USACE and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources since the 1990’s.
Cecil M. Harden Lake includes 1,983 land acres, 2,110 water acres and 53 shoreline miles. The purpose of the USACE Shoreline Management Program is to protect and manage shorelines of all Civil Works water resource development projects under USACE jurisdiction in a manner that promotes the safe and healthful use by the public while maintaining environmental safeguards to ensure a quality resource for use by the public. The objective of all management actions is to achieve balance between permitted private uses and resource protection for public use.
The event held on April 18 had approximately 65 people in attendance, and the team worked diligently to answer everyone’s questions.
“USACE is committed to working with property owners to implement these changes,” said John Chassey, Cecil M. Harden Lake project manager. “The changes to the plan implement best management practices to secure our natural resources and the future of Cecil M. Harden Lake for generations to come.”
A draft copy of the Shoreline Management Plan can be viewed at the following link: https://www.lrl.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Recreation/Lakes/Cecil-M-Harden-Lake/.
