Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Thursday, October 5, 2017
(SPRING VALLEY CAMP GROUND) - An emergency closure of the Springs Valley Campground in Orange county was implemented at the beginning of May due to safety concerns from recent flooding.
The unpredictable and recurring nature of this flooding has prompted an extension to the temporary closure issued in May. Effective October 5, 2017, the Springs Valley Campground remains closed for the next 120 days until a permanent closure takes effect for this flood-prone area. Camping and having fires in this area are prohibited. The vault restroom facilities and boat ramp at Springs Valley Recreation Area will remain open for public use.
Springs Valley Lake (also known as Tucker Lake) annually floods this campground and washes large debris into the area. In previous years, Forest Service employees have worked to clear this debris and keep the campground open. However, since this camping area is in a flood plain, increasing safety concerns due to large amounts of debris and precipitation have led to the current emergency closure and plans for a permanent closure. Safety concerns for the campground area involve both potential damage to camping equipment and personal injury to people from flood waters and debris.
Other camping areas are available nearby in Orange County, including other Hoosier National Forest (NF) facilities and Indiana State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) facilities. The Hoosier NF's Shirley Creek Horsecamp and Youngs Creek Horsecamp are located near Springs Valley Lake. While both campgrounds are designed for horse camping, all visitors are welcome to use the facilities. The Newton-Stewart State Recreation Area, located on the south side of Patoka Lake, is an Indiana DNR facility open to the public. For a fee, it offers camping, lake access, and day-use opportunities for recreation. The Hoosier NF also allows dispersed camping (camping not in a designated campground) on most areas of the Forest.
To speak with someone about the Springs Valley Campground closure, contact Nancy Myers, Tell City Ranger District Recreation Program manager at 812-547-9241 or nmyers@fs.fed.us.
The U.S. Forest Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a mission of sustaining the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The Forest Service's Eastern Region includes twenty states in the Midwest and East, stretching from Maine, to Maryland, to Missouri, to Minnesota. There are 17 national forests and one national tallgrass prairie in the Eastern Region. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/R9.
The U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.