![]() ![]() In recent years the reservoir has experienced problems with algal blooms and invasive aquatic species. The area is noted for its topography and the reservoir. In recent years the Geist area has experienced rapid growth. A proposal in the 1970s to triple the size of the reservoir was defeated, and a housing boom began in the lake area. In the 1960s further controversy arose over plans for commercial and residential development in the area around the lake. Although controversial, the reservoir was completed in 1943, five years after Clarence Geist's death. Geist gradually bought some 5,000 acres in Fall Creek Valley in the 1920s and 1930s, including the small town of Germantown, which today lies at the bottom of the reservoir. ![]() Planning for the reservoir began as early as 1913, when hydraulic engineers estimated that White River and Fall Creek would not provide enough water for the increasing needs of Indianapolis. Geist Reservoir was named after Clarence Geist, a former owner of the Indianapolis Water Company who foresaw a deficit in Indianapolis's water supply and envisioned Geist Reservoir to preemptively address the problem. The reservoir is located primarily in the northeast corner of Indianapolis and the southeast corner of Fishers, but small parts reach into the nearby towns of Lawrence, Fortville, and McCordsville. Upon completion, Geist Reservoir was the second-largest man-made lake in Indiana, providing approximately 7,000,000,000 US gallons of water. It was constructed in 1943 by damming Fall Creek to provide water for Indianapolis. “If a lot of fish other than shad start showing up dead, then we may want to investigate and see if this was something other than a result of winter kill.Geist Reservoir is a reservoir in the northeastern part of metropolitan Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. The mechanism shad have for dealing with being a fragile species is that they are extremely prolific spawners.”Īs the spring thaw continues, he expects that residents will see more over the next few weeks. “Usually you don’t even ever notice much of a dip in their numbers because they rebound so quickly. While the die-offs are unsightly to residents, they don’t completely eliminate the shad even though at times it appears the kills were pretty devastating. “Shad numbers tend to be high, which is usually the case at most of the reservoirs in central and southern Indiana where they are found,” he said. Geist Reservoir has a high number of large population of shad. As a result, winter die-offs are not uncommon with winter conditions such as this past year,” he said. “Shad are pretty fragile fish that are more sensitive to cold water and lower oxygen levels than many other species in our lakes. “I expect to hear about and see this at other lakes,” he said.įish kills happen when the ice on a frozen water body has been covered with snow for any length of time. He explained that what has happened on Geist Reservoir happens quite frequently at many Indiana lakes that have abundant populations of shad following a winter where there are long stretches of cold temperatures and extended periods of ice. I am not surprised that there are lots of dead or struggling shad, I’d actually be more surprised if there weren’t,” said Rhett Wisener, IDNR fish biologist. “Most accounts so far are that the vast majority of the dead fish are gizzard shad. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources agrees. The Geist Lake Coalition addressed concerns of homeowners along the waterfront, saying there’s nothing to worry about. Last week, residents with homes on Geist Reservoir expressed concern about seeing a higher than usual number of dead fish floating on the water. ![]()
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