Beach closed due to low water levels at Salamonie Reservoir

ANDREWS, Ind. (WANE) - The Salamonie Reservoir was down 14 feet from where it should have been Thursday. The beach is closed because of the low water levels.

Officials at Salamonie told 24-Hour News 8 news partner WANE-TV the water has been this low only one other time since the 1970s.

The drought hasn't been good for business at the reservoir either. The beach draw isn't there, camping reservations have been canceled and three of the five boat ramps have been closed.

"It's one of the things where we're encouraging people to stay out in the middle of the lake, stay away from the fingers and stay down toward the western half of the lake where it's a little bit deeper," said Justin Harrington, property biologist at Salamonie Reservoir. "This thing can fill up any time we get a good rainstorm, so lets’ hope we get some good weather ahead of us."

The Salamonie Lake and Salamonie River State Forest make up more than 12,000 acres in Huntington County. The area offers many outdoor activities including camping, boating, fishing, swimming, hiking and picnicking.