Public meeting set March 12 for Glenn Flint Lake Recreation Area

In something of an anniversary celebration, the Little Walnut Conservancy District Board of Directors invites the public to a Tuesday, March 12 event.

The agenda is to present a county park project that has been in development for a year. The anniversary recognizes the fact that this project truly began almost 57 years ago to the day.

This 6 p.m. public meeting will take place at the Clinton Township Volunteer Fire Department Building, 4218 W. CR 450 North, Greencastle, and will be led by project consultants Zec Eight Insight and V3 Companies. In partnership with the Putnam County Council, the Putnam County Board of Commissioners, Putnam Parks & Pathways and the Putnam County Visitors Bureau, this group seeks public input on an initial plan to begin developing the first “county park.”

Akin to an Indiana State Park or State Recreation Area (SRA), the proposal includes campgrounds and cabins, beach, dock, playground, trails and event amenities.

Nearly 57 years ago, on March 10, 1967, Francis N. Hamilton, a judge of the Putnam Circuit Court, signed an order “Establishing the Little Walnut Creek Conservancy District.” Since that time, the 33,000-acre watershed area in Clinton and Madison Townships has served the primary purpose of flood prevention and control, improving drainage, preventing loss of topsoil and developing forests.

Only a small portion of the operation of the Conservancy District has gone toward park and recreational development, which was the original intent.

A series of public hearings in the late 1960s led to the development of the “Report of the Indiana Natural Resources Commission,” dated Sept. 26, 1966. Receiving technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the Purdue Extension Service and Putnam County Soil Conservation District, this initial document served as the foundation for the Little Walnut Creek Conservancy District.

Along with the appointment of the first board of directors, which included, Tim Ruark, Jack Vermillion, Tressman Goode, Ralph Call and William Wright, the first duty was to prepare a district plan, which was completed in July, 1969.

Three structures were installed over the next seven years with grant funding from IDNR, but all additional progress was stopped to avoid further taxation of the farmers in the watershed. This left a large portion of the original plan incomplete. Along the southeastern shore of the lake and conservation area, a revenue-generating recreation area had been planned to assist with long-term development and funding.

With a new cooperative effort between county agencies and the re-establishment of the Putnam County Parks Board, this portion of the original plan is again being pursued.