WROI News

Homeowners in Peru subdivision required to drain lake due to dam concerns

Homeowners in the Hidden Hills subdivision north of Peru are forming a conservacy district, after the Indiana Department of Natural Resources required the residents to drain one of its lakes due to concerns over its dam. 

 

The project follows a seven-year legal battle over who was responsible for fixing the structures. In 2013, the DNR sent letters to more than 20 landowners in the subdivision saying they had failed to maintain six deteriorating dams and keep them in safe condition.

 

Homeowners had argued the Miami County Board of Commissioners should be responsible since all six dams have roads running over them and were accepted into the county road system. The county argued homeowners were responsible since they owned the dams where the roads sat.

 

Last year the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled that the homeowners were fully responsible for dam maintenance. Now, homeowners are working with the DNR to make repairs to meet state standards on the structures.

 

The lake is located in the southwest corner of the subdivision and is currently around 15 feet deep. DNR said the homweowners will need to cut a breech into the earthen dam to empty the lake since a spillway was never constructed there. The breech will drain it to around three feet, preventing sediment from washing downstream. Only two homes from Hidden Hills are located on this lake. 

 

The homeowners are required to have the southwest lake drained by Dec. 30.  Following that, homeowners will need to hire engineers to begin repairing the other five structures. 

 

The developer of the subdivision has donated 35 unsold lots to the nonprofit nonprofit group Hidden Hills Lakes Preservation. Any money made on selling those plots will help pay for dam repairs and maintenance. 

 

The lots have so far generated around $160,000, which has been enough to cover all the initial costs associated with the projects.

 

Homeowners are in the middle of forming a conservancy district that will levy taxes on all the properties in the subdivision to fund the long-term costs associated with the dams. 

 

 

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