Public open house set for September 7 at Ouabache

The DNR will host a public information open house at the Ouabache State Park Lodge from 7 - 9 p.m. on Wednesday, September 7, to discuss the repair and upgrade of the dam and spillway at Kunkel Lake near Bluffton. Admission to the park will be free.

Tom Hohman, director of engineering for the DNR, welcomed interested citizens to the open house, where plans and timelines for the construction at the Wells County site will be unveiled.

The DNR has been monitoring repair and upgrade needs of the Kunkel Lake dam for several years. These repairs are part of the statewide plans to upgrade sub-standard DNR-owned dams throughout the state.

The DNR expects to drain the lake starting in mid-September. Once construction begins, the lake will be closed to public use until construction is completed over the winter. DNR officials expect the lake to be open for boating next summer.

Some fish in the lake will be moved to holding ponds at Roush Lake in September. Fishing regulations will not be relaxed during drawdown, due to the short time frame. Restocking of salvaged fish will occur as the lake refills. Supplemental stocking of channel catfish and other species, if needed, will occur in fall 2006.

Trees will be removed on the dam to make the dam embankment safe. New trees will be planted at a 5:1 ratio in other areas of the park.

Kunkel Lake is a 24-acre impoundment located about 4 miles east of Bluffton off S.R. 201 in northeastern Indiana.