Griffy Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Griffy Lake |
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| Griffy Reservoir | |
The dam drain of Griffy Lake
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 Griffy Lake
Location in Indiana
Griffy Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°12′00″N 86°32′00″W / 39.20000°N 86.53333°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Griffy Creek |
| Primary outflows | Griffy Creek |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 109 acres (44 ha) |
| Water volume | 1,280 acre⋅ft (1.58 hm3) |
| Surface elevation | 633 ft (193 m) |
| Settlements | Bloomington |
Griffy Lake, also known as Griffy Reservoir, is a beautiful lake in Bloomington, Indiana. It was created in the 1920s when a dam was built on Griffy Creek. For many years, Griffy Lake was the main source of drinking water for Bloomington. Later, in the 1950s, bigger lakes like Lake Lemon and Lake Monroe took over this important job.
A large part of the forest around the lake is a protected area. It is called the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve. Another section, known as Griffy Woods, belongs to Indiana University. Griffy Woods even has a smaller lake called University Lake. This smaller lake was built before Griffy Lake and is part of its water system.
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How Griffy Lake Was Made
Bloomington's Early Water Needs
In the early 1900s, Bloomington and Indiana University were growing fast. They needed more drinking water. The city built dams on small streams southwest of town. This created lakes like Leonard Springs Reservoir, Wapehani Lake, and Twin Lakes.
However, the ground in this area is made of Indiana Limestone. This type of rock has many cracks and caves. Because of this, the lakes kept leaking water. It was hard for them to provide enough water for the city and the university.
University Lake: A First Step
Since the city's lakes were leaky, Indiana University decided to build its own water source. In 1909, the university leaders started a project. A geology professor named E.R. Cumings helped find the best spot.
On March 8, 1910, they chose a place northeast of the campus. This is where University Lake is today. The dam for this new lake was built on strong rock. It blocked a small stream that flowed into Griffy Creek. Griffy Creek eventually flows into the White River.
The dam for University Lake was 40 feet tall. It was made of concrete and built between 1910 and 1914.
Building Griffy Lake
A few years after University Lake was finished, the Bloomington Water Company started a bigger project. In 1923, they planned to build a larger dam on Griffy Creek itself. This new dam would be downstream from University Lake.
The Griffy Dam was completed in 1924. This created the much larger Griffy Reservoir, which we now call Griffy Lake. This dam was also 40 feet tall and made of concrete.
In 1934, the city took over the lake's water treatment plant. The dam was made even taller, reaching 44 feet. It is 900 feet long. Griffy Lake covers 109 acres and holds a lot of water.
Even though Bloomington now gets its drinking water from other lakes, Griffy Lake is still important. It is considered a backup water supply for the city. Rules are in place to keep the lake clean. This is in case it needs to be used for drinking water again.
In 2012, the lake was almost completely drained. This was done to fix the dam. The repairs finished in November 2013, and the lake began to refill. Plans were made to add fish back to the lake in 2014.
Griffy Lake Nature Preserve and Griffy Woods
To protect Griffy Lake's water, many pieces of land have been bought over the years. This created the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve. It is a large area of 1,180 acres that surrounds the lake.
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Next to the Nature Preserve is the 185-acre Griffy Woods. This area is part of the Indiana University Research and Teaching Preserve. It was created in 2001. Griffy Woods includes University Lake and is located southeast of Griffy Lake.
The Griffy Lake Nature Preserve is open to everyone. However, a large part of Griffy Woods is closed to the public. It is mainly used by university staff and students for environmental research.
Fun Things to Do at Griffy Lake
The Griffy Lake Nature Preserve is a very popular place for outdoor activities. It is easy to reach from Bloomington and the Indiana University campus.
You can enjoy hiking on the trails around the lake. There are also facilities for boating, like renting canoes or kayaks. Fishing is another popular activity at Griffy Lake.
In 2008, a pop-punk band from Bloomington called Good Luck named their first album after the lake. It was called Into Lake Griffy.
