The District received from Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) - Water Division the project's Certificate of Approval for the construction of the emergency spillway in early July, 2019 and Notice to Proceed for construction began July 29,2019. Rust Construction, Seymour, IN won the bid for construction. Work was completed August 20, 2019. Christopher B Burke Engineering, Indianapolis, IN provided the meteorological and hydrologic analysis and design plan.
The emergency spillway was required by IDNR to provide for 100% of White Lake's water volume to exit without personal and property damage or compromising the earthen dam during a 100-year PMP event. The dam's auxiliary spillway provides for 65% discharge; therefore, the emergency spillway will provide for the additional 35% discharge.
PMP as defined by the National Weather Service (NWS) as: "theoretically, the greatest depth of precipitation for a given duration that is physically possible over a given storm area at a particular geographical location at a certain time of the year." According to NWS, Johnson County, Indiana is predicted to receive 27 inches of rain fall within 6 hours of a 100-year PMP event. In other words, the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) is the flood that may be expected from the most severe combination of critical meteorological and hydrologic conditions that are reasonably possible in a particular drainage area.
The White Lake Conservancy District is funded for lake and dam operation and maintenance from tax levies paid by each property owner on White Lake which consists of approximately 63 owners. The tax levy appears on each owner's annual Johnson County property tax statement. The $200,000 loan secured from the Indiana State Revolving Fund to pay for the emergency spillway is for 10 years (2019-2029) at an interest rate of 2.5%. In 2019, owners saw an increase in the tax levy to begin paying for the emergency spillway project. A separate loan was secured from the Indiana Bond Bank for the dam's auxiliary spillway in the late 90's and that loan will be paid in full in January, 2023.
White Lake and its dam, as well as all waterways and dams in Indiana, come under the jurisdiction of three regulatory agencies: Indiana Department of Natural Resources - Water Division; Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM); and Army Corps of Engineers. For transparency of information and finances, the District's Board of Directors are under the jurisdiction of the Johnson County Circuit Court. Thus, the WLCD Lake Rules and Regulations, which can be found on this site, must be followed by all residents and their guests for the safety of people, the lake and dam.
WLCD Board Members: Jayne Averitt, Mike Richards
