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true true true true

Fairfax, Paynetown Beaches At Lake Monroe Closed Due To High Water

By Emma Atkinson

Posted June 4, 2020

Swimmers and sunbathers crowd Fairfax SRA at Lake Monroe, Memorial Day 2020.

Fairfax Beach at Lake Monroe on Memorial Day 2020. (Zach Herndon, WFIU/WTIU News)

According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Lake Monroe Facebook page, beaches at Fairfax and Paynetown State Recreation Areas are closed through the weekend because of rising water.

The post also advises that while some courtesy docks are underwater, the Paynetown boat ramp is still accessible.

Additionally, privately-owned boat rentals are still operational.

"Although recreation is a key purpose of the lake, its primary purpose is flood control, and the lake is fulfilling that purpose this week," the post says.

While Bloomington weather has been dry recently, a Facebook comment from the DNR says the high water level is most likely due to last week's storms: "It takes time for that water to travel from throughout the watershed to the lake, often 3 to 5 days," the comment says. "We were already about 4.5 feet high before the last round of rain."

Ginger Murphy is the deputy director for stewardship for Indiana State Parks.

“When we have a lot of rainfall coming in at once, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulates the water level to prevent flooding downstream," Murphy says. "That's the primary purpose of the lake. And so they are holding a lot of the water. They are releasing some. But that means that the beaches are underwater. So, they are closed until the water level drops.”

The beach closures at the lake come as other state camps, picnic shelters and other rentable spaces are reopening this week.

DNR is now issuing passes, permits and fishing licenses that were briefly suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Last summer, excess rainfall caused major flooding at and around Lake Monroe, closing beaches, boat ramps and campsites for several weeks. 

For more up-to-date information about beach and boat ramp closures, call 812-837-9546.

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