Board Election Results

Jack Werner introduced the seven candidates for the five available Director positions: Lindy Karberg (incumbent); Tracey Linder (incumbent); Carrie Woodruff (Incumbent); Scott Bechtel; Greg Deitz; Bob Dion; Andrea Pearman. Voting took place at the end of the meeting. Votes were then counted by the Nominations Committee. All three incumbents were voted back on the board (Lindy Karberg, Tracey Linder, and Carrie Woodruff) with the additions of new board members, Scott Bechtel and Bob Dion.

NIPSCO has issued an Abnormal River Condition (ARC) Watch for Lake Freeman, as one of the following conditions has occurred: the previous day’s 24-hour average for flows at the Buffalo USGS gauge dropped to 410 cubic feet per second (cfs) or below; or the previous day’s 24 hour daily average for flows at the Winamac USGS gauge dropped to 300 cfs or below.

As of 6:30 am EST on 8/30, the 24-hour daily average at the Buffalo USGS gauge is 459 cfs and the 24-hour daily average at the Winamac USGS gauge is 298 cfs.

The surface elevation taken near the face of the Oakdale Hydroelectric Dam was measured at 610.06 below the normal operating target of 610.35ft.

The change in surface elevation measured at the hydro does not reflect or equate to the same potential change in depth for other areas of the lake. Surface elevation is the relative measurement to sea level, local datum. A change of .01 ft in the surface elevation equates to 1/100th of a foot or .12 inches. NIPSCO does not measure average depths.

Indiana Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers, remind the public to be mindful of their surroundings and be aware of any submerged objects in or underneath the surface of the water. Due to the water levels objects such as tree stumps, old dock pilings and such may start to show or become a hazard to boat operators, swimmers, and tubers.

For timely updates visit https://www.nipsco.com/our-company/about-us/hydro-power

Lake Residents & Visitors-

The flows measured at Buffalo and Winamac gauges have not triggered an Abnormal River Condition event as defined by FERC nor an Abnormal Low Flow event as defined by Fish and Wildlife Services. Due to trending river conditions, NIPSCO has been releasing the minimum of 500 cfs as required by the Fish and Wildlife Technical Assistance Letter.

As a result, Lake Freeman has dropped below the normal FERC operating range. NIPSCO will continue to monitor river conditions and provide timely updates.

Please visit the Hydros website for more information: https://www.nipsco.com/our-company/about-us/hydro-power

Congratulations to ticket #178 on winning this brand new Waverunner! Thank you to everyone who participated and stay tuned for next year’s raffle!

This year the SFLECC will be raffling off this 2022 Yamaha EX Deluxe Waverunner with trailer on Friday, July 29th at 11 am. Be sure to check our Facebook page and website for the winning ticket number!

The SFLECC Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, August 27th at 10 am in the Benjamin Pavilion at the Monticello City Park. Five board positions will be filled at the meeting. Any person interested in being on the SFLECC board is asked to send their resume to:

                SFLECC

                Attn: Nominating Committee

                P.O. Box 372

                Monticello, IN 47960

Resumes must be received no later than July 20, 2022. Only *members of the SFLECC are entitled to vote. Directors must be legal residents of the State of Indiana.

*Members of the corporation consist of persons who have a paid current Shore Front License; or have made a donation twice the amount of a standard Shore Front License during the calendar year; or are a recorded member of an association with a paid current Shore Front License. Members are encouraged to attend this meeting.

Recently, SFLECC stocked Lakes Freeman & Shafer with some Large Mouth Bass. We’ll be doing another installment in the fall with other types of fish. A big thanks to NIPSCO and Clear Creek Fisheries LLC for making this happen!

At this time, the surface elevation taken near the face of the Oakdale Hydroelectric Dam has returned to the normal Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) operating range between 610.10 and 611.10 ft.

A vacancy on the Board of Directors of Shafer and Freeman Lakes Environmental Conservation Corporation (SFLECC) has occurred.

Any member of the SFLECC interested in being considered to fill this position should send their current resume to: SFLECC Attn: Nominating Committee, P.O. Box 372, Monticello, Indiana  47960. Resumes should be received by 4 pm on October 20^th, 2021.

All board members must be legal residents of the State of Indiana and members of the corporation. A member of the corporation consists of a person who has a paid current Shore Front License during the calendar year. A member could also be a recorded member of an Association with a paid current Shore Front License.

The SFLECC does have an attendance policy for board members and each member is asked to serve on a sub-committee.  Approximately 10 hours of volunteer work per month is expected. 

As Lake Freeman levels continue to be impacted, an Abnormal River Condition (ARC) Warning has been issued for Lake Freeman, as surface elevation levels as measured at the Oakdale Dam have gone below the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) required minimum operating level of 610.10 ft. and we are continuing to experience Abnormal River Conditions.

As of 6:26 a.m. ET on September 10, 2021, the surface elevation taken near the face of the Oakdale Hydroelectric Dam was measured at 609.7ft. below the normal operating target of 610.35ft. The change in surface elevation measured at the hydro does not reflect or equate to the same potential change in depth for other areas of the lake. Surface elevation is the relative measurement to sea level, local datum. A change of .01 ft in the surface elevation equates to 1/100th of a foot or .12 inches. NIPSCO does not measure average depths.

Currently, the 24-hour daily average for flow is 417 cubic feet per second (cfs) at the Buffalo USGS gauge and 282 cfs at the USGS Winamac gauge. An ARC event will be lifted once the 24-hour average rises above 410 cfs at Buffalo and the 24 hour average rises above 300 cfs at Winamac.

Please be mindful of your surroundings and be aware of any submerged objects in or underneath the surface of the water. Due to the water levels, objects such as tree stumps, old dock pilings and such may start to show or become a hazard to boat operators, swimmers, and tubers.

Without additional rainfall, depths could continue to be reduced. Current information may be found at www.nipscohydro.com.