Beanblossom Creek facts for kids
Beanblossom Creek is a stream located in Monroe and Brown counties, Indiana, in the United States. This creek is like a natural drain for about 92 square miles of land in south-central Indiana. It's an important part of the local environment and has an interesting history!
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The Story Behind the Name
Beanblossom Creek got its unique name from an early settler named Beanblossom. The story goes that this pioneer almost had a serious accident while trying to swim across the creek when it was full of water. Luckily, he was okay, and the creek was named after him!
Lakes Formed by the Creek
Over the years, people have built dams on Beanblossom Creek and its smaller streams. These dams help create lakes that are used for different purposes.
Lake Lemon
In the 1950s, a dam was built on Beanblossom Creek itself. This created a larger body of water known as Lake Lemon. It's a popular spot for recreation today.
Lake Griffy
Even before Lake Lemon, a smaller lake called Griffy Lake was formed. This happened when a dam was built on Griffy Creek, which is a smaller stream that flows into Beanblossom Creek.
Keeping the Creek Clean
It's important to keep our natural waterways healthy. Sometimes, creeks can get polluted, which means they have harmful substances in them.
Checking for Pollution
From September to October 2001, a group called the Indiana Department of Environmental Management studied the Beanblossom Creek area. They found that a type of bacteria called Escherichia coli (often called E. coli) was the main problem. They also found 15 other kinds of pollution.
Where Pollution Comes From
The E. coli bacteria came from many places. These included farms with animals, water running off from cities and rural areas, home sewage systems, and even sewer overflows.
Plans for a Cleaner Creek
To fix these problems, a special report was made. It suggested solutions like better ways to manage animal waste and controlling how storm water runs off the land. These plans were approved in 2006 to help make Beanblossom Creek cleaner and healthier.
Protecting Nature Around the Creek
People are working hard to protect the land and water around Beanblossom Creek.
The Bicentennial Nature Trust
In 2016, when Indiana celebrated its 200th birthday, the state started a program called the Bicentennial Nature Trust. This program set aside money to buy land for conservation, which means protecting it for nature.
Beanblossom Creek Conservation Area
About $1 million from this trust was used to protect land in northern Monroe County, right around Beanblossom Creek. This led to the creation of the Beanblossom Creek Bicentennial Conservation Area. This area helps protect important natural places like the Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve and the Lake Griffy Nature Preserve. It also includes a part of the Morgan-Monroe state forest. The goal is to improve water quality and protect wildlife.
The Covered Bridge Fire and Rebuild
Beanblossom Creek was once home to a very old and special bridge.
A Historic Bridge Lost
In 1976, a fire sadly destroyed the historic Cedar Ford Covered Bridge over Beanblossom Creek. This bridge was built way back in the 1880s and was the only one of its kind in all of Monroe County.
Building a New Bridge
Work began in the fall of 2018 to rebuild the bridge. The project was planned to finish in May 2019. It cost about $1.6 million, with most of the money (80%) coming from the United States government. Interestingly, 30% of the wood used for the new bridge came from another old Indiana covered bridge that was taken down in 1975.
Images for kids
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The rebuilt Beanblossom Bottom Covered Bridge in 2019.
