Drought Reveals Submerged Towns
Declining water levels at the Salamonie Reservoir have revealed the remnants of four town that were submerged when the reservoir was created in 1967. The remains of buildings and roadways once completely hidden by deep waters have surfaced amid extreme drought conditions.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources says the towns were bought by the Army Corps of Engineers and torn down in 1965 to create the Salamonie Reservoir. The DNR says that this time of the year usually has the former road that were part of the towns under at least 8 feet of water. “To bring the current lake level back up to that point, will probably require about five to six inches of rain,” said DNR spokesperson Justin Harrington.
Harrington says they don’t mind people coming by to see the bit of history, but no one is allowed to pick up any artifacts that they find, which have included coins, door knobs and foundations of houses and a former school.