It's not unusual for dead fish to turn up as the weather warms in the spring, but the Indiana Department of Natural Resources says this week it's investigating the fish deaths. ![]() Indiana officials are working to determine what caused the deaths of fish found with slime and splotches on them at Geist Reservoir. The DNR does not believe the die-off will not have an impact on the fish population in the reservoir. The statement cited a possible fungal or bacterial infection as the cause of the die-off, which it said often happens this time of year when fish are already stressed from winter. The agencies also took live fish that showed signs of infection for testing. WRTV-TV reports the DNR and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management inspected the northern shoreline of Geist Reservoir on Tuesday and found 10 to 15 dead redear sunfish. ![]() The agency said in a statement Wednesday the deaths have the "appearances of a small, natural die-off of some sunfish species." Additionally, prior to any shoreline development, recreational use was already contemplated at Morse with plans to work with the state Department of Conservation to stock the lake with game fish, and for the installation of boating facilities.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Indiana Department of Natural Resources says the deaths of fish in Geist Reservoir appear to be natural. While this plan did not move forward, plans to develop Morse did, and the early development at Morse does not appear to have had as much drama associated with it as did the same actions at Geist years earlier. As part of the drama associated with the land around Geist, in 1961 Shorewood/the IWC, offered a land exchange, where 500 acres of land at Morse would be set aside for a park, in exchange for development moving forward at Geist. More detail about the issues with development around Geist can be explored in this post, but Morse was pulled into the discussion when not long after Shorewood was created, IWC transferred 3,120 acres around Morse to the company. In 1960 the IWC started Shorewood, a real estate subsidiary, which was established to sell land around both Morse and Geist reservoirs (land which was still owned by IWC) for development. The selling of land along Geist for development purposes had created a several years long controversy, as the land had been set aside for park use. The red oval is the future location of the dam.Īside from providing water for Indianapolis, the reservoir had another valuable aspect to it: land. ![]() Cicero Indiana is at the top right corner of the map. The 1953 United States Geological Survey map below shows the land where Morse would be located prior to construction circled in red. However, like the secretive land purchases which had preceded the construction of Geist, no announcement of the location was made, but rumors began to circulate in 1949 about large land purchases being made along Cicero Creek northwest of Noblesville. By 1947 Cicero Creek was the target site, although surveys for the exact location were still being conducted, and in 1948 engineers determined that the reservoir would be on a section of Cicero Creek directly south of the town of Cicero, with the dam being constructed near the confluence of Cicero and Hinkle Creeks. The narrow valley, as well as its depth, made this an ideal location for the new reservoir. In that area, the creek wandered through a narrow valley (at least when compared to the Fall Creek Valley and the nearby White River Valley), with the adjacent bluffs rising 30-40 feet above the valley floor. A portion of Cicero Creek northwest of Noblesville had promise.
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