The CCC's Dam Mistake at Pokagon
N 41° 42.596 W 085° 00.552
16T E 665623 N 4619486
In the new section of Pokagon State Park. Visible from Trail #9.
PLEASE NOTE: this waymark has a terrain rating of THREE due to the length of the hike necessary to reach this waymark, as well as the terrain of the trail.
Waymark Code: WMQH7
Location: Indiana, United States
Date Posted: 09/16/2006
Views: 70
The Civilian Conservation Corps "boys" were so enthusiastic about conservation and soil retention, as well as doing a good job of building up and preserving the area, that they got rather carried away. They built a series of dams, which still stand today. Two of these are easily seen from the trails.
However, unfortunately, they were so enthusiastic they didn't realize until after their dam work was finished that they'd built the dams entirely off Pokagon State Park property!
For decades, these dams resided on privately-owned property...until money donated to Pokagon State Park enabled the Indiana DNR to purchase the property on which the dams were built.
FINALLY, the dams could belong to the park they'd been intended for all along!
When you pay a visit to these dams, please stay ON THE TRAILS AND BEHIND THE FENCING. The dams are rather fragile and the fences are there to protect them.
To log your visit, please post a picture of yourself & your GPSr WITH the fencing and dams behind you. Logs with pictures NOT containing the fencing WILL BE DELETED.
This listing was created with extensive help from Fred Wooley, Interpretive Naturalist for Pokagon State Park, and columnist for the Herald-Republican newspaper. We thank him for his assistance and copies of his articles, without which we would not have been able to provide these listings.
We would also like to extend our thanks to Brad Bumgardner of the Pokagon State Park interpretive staff and Amber Edwards for their extensive assistance in locating and photographing these dams. Without their help, we'd still be lost in the woods, looking around.