Hardy Lake

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Hardy Lake
Location	Indiana
Coordinates	38°47′28″N, 085°42′57″WCoordinates: 38°47′28″N, 085°42′57″W
Lake type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Quick's Creek
Primary outflows	Quick's Creek
Basin countries	United Staes
Surface area	741 acres (300 ha)

Hardy Lake, originally named Quick Creek Reservoir^[1], is an Indiana state reservoir in Scott and Jefferson counties, Indiana. It is located four miles east of Austin, Indiana and thirty-five miles north of Louisville, Kentucky. It is the smallest reservoir maintained by the state of Indiana, measuring only 2,448 acres of total property, and 741 acres(1.2 square miles) of surface area for the lake. The lake is approximately 38 feet deep.^[2]

[edit] Creation

The reservoir was constructed in 1970 by damming Quick's Creek. The state hoped the reservoir would provide a stable source of water for nearby communities in Scott County. The lake's water elevation does remain at a stable level, unlike the water elevations of most reservoirs. The dam that creates the reservoir is an earth filled dam, 52 feet high and 376 feet wide, downstream of twelve square miles of drainage area. The reservoir is now used as a back-up source of water for the Stucker Fork Conservancy District, whose primary source of water is the East Fork of the Muscatatuck River.

When Hardy Lake was completed, Indiana governor Otis R. Bowen hailed it as part of his goal of having a park controlled by the state of Indiana within driving distance of every Hoosier. Hardy Lake is part of a statewide system of reservoirs created during the 1960s and 1970s by the by the state of Indiana and the Army Corp of Engineers.^[3] ^[4] ^[5] ^[6]

[edit] Other uses

Other features of the park include the McClain Cemetery, which dates back to the 18th century, a mound of Allegheny mound ants, foxfire, and a trail exclusively designed to test one's archery skills. Seasonal fishing and hunting are permitted within the park. The park contains a large population of fish that includes bluegill, catfish, black crappie, largemouth bass, redear sunfish, and tiger muskie. Animals available to hunt not only include the typical deer and turkey, but quail, snipe, and woodchuck as well.^[7] The lake is open to boating and fishing with has four public access ramps.^[8] The park is also home several species of birds including the Red-necked Grebe, Mute Swan, Snow Goose, and Black Vulture. Red-shouldered Hawks are particularly noteworthy and nest around the lake in early spring through mid-summer.^[9]

The state's Division of Parks and Reservoirs maintains both primitive and modern camping sites in the park surrounding the lake. The park also includes a public swimming beach, bathhouses, and hiking trails making it a popular camping location. The park borders the Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge on the north, the Crosley Fish and Wildlife Area on the northeast, Clifty Falls State Park on the east.^[10] The Hardy Lake Sweep occurs annually at the lake when 4-H members, boy scouts, and girl scouts camp in the park for a weekend of work to clear the park's roads and shoreline of any litter.^[11]

Despite its remote location, Hardy Lake has seen criminal activity. Joyce Beyers was murdered by drowning in Hardy Lake on March 29, 1986, by her boyfriend, Larry D. Fox. Years later, Carl M. Tobias was found guilty of raping an underage girl, but an appeals court overturned the conviction, finding reasonable doubt.^[12]