Gibson Lake (Indiana)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gibson Lake | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gibson Generating Station, Montgomery Township, Indiana |
| Coordinates | |
| Lake type | reservoir (cooling pond) |
| Primary inflows | Mc Carthy Ditch, Patoka River |
| Primary outflows | Wabash River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 1.5 mi (2.4 km) |
| Max. width | 2 mi (3.2 km) |
| Surface area | 3,490 acres (1,410 ha) |
| Average depth | 20 ft (6.1 m) |
| Max. depth | 24 ft (7.3 m) |
| Water volume | 7.1 billion gallons (approx.) |
| Residence time (of lake water) | 2 weeks |
| Shore length1 | 6 mi (9.7 km) (includes the central splitter dike) |
| Surface elevation | 350 ft (110 m) |
| Frozen | never |
| Islands | none |
| Settlements | Mount Carmel, Illinois (2 miles NW of the lake) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Gibson Lake is the cooling pond for Duke Energy Indiana's Gibson Generating Station. Measuring at around 3,500 acres, it is the largest lake in Indiana built completely above ground, its shores consisting of rock levees on all but two of the lake's six sides both of which were also built up to build the power plant. Opened to fishing in 1978, Gibson Lake had been a prime source of bass and several types of catfish, bluegill, and carp. The lake was closed to fishing in 2007, due to elevated levels of selenium found in the water of the lake. [1] The only entrance to Gibson Lake is the lake's boat ramp, located due southeast of the plant on Gibson County Road 975 South.
Gibson Lake, due to it never getting colder than 60 °F (16 °C), caused by the very hot outflows from the main plant's boilers, is known to produce a little dusting of snow every now and then.
Contents |
[edit] Wildlife
The Gibson Lake and the rest of the Gibson Generating Station complex is home to several species of birds.
They Include:
- Many of these birds use the area as a stop-over on their respective destinations.
[edit] Specialty Species
- Least Terns - breed at Gibson Lake and Cane Ridge and may be seen anytime between mid-May and late August or early September.
- Bald Eagles - are common during the winter and are usually encountered on a drive around the levee. They nest in the area.
[edit] Temperature
The lake temperature never falls below 60 °F (16 °C), due mainly to the Main Plant's boiler discharges.
| Season | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Winter | 60 °F (16 °C) | 65 °F (18 °C) |
| Summer | 95 °F (35 °C) | 110 °F (43 °C) |
[edit] References
- ^ Gibson Lake Will Not Reopen for Fishing April 1 - Duke Energy
- ^ Gibson Lake - Indiana Birding Guide
|
|||||
