By Louie Stout
Finally, some good news about public access.
Hudson Lake, Indiana’s largest natural lake without a state-owned public boat ramp, will have one for use sometime in July.
The lake is located near New Carlisle, Ind. in LaPorte County.
The DNR has been approved to construct a boat launch and parking area in the northwest corner of the backwaters, sometimes known as little Hudson.
The property is just north of the former Lucky Day private boat ramp that anglers used for years.
The Lucky Day property was a hot topic here a few years ago when it came up for sale and the DNR couldn’t gather the funds in time to buy it.
The new Hudson access was made possible by a one-acre donation from a nearby landowner who wanted it designated for public use.
Construction costs are estimated at $40,000, 75 percent which comes from the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act and 25 percent from sportsmen license money. Sportsmen also contributed to the federal money through excise taxes they pay when purchasing fishing equipment and fuel.
So essentially, anglers paid for it.
The new access, which will be accessed off N. Emery Road, will include a concrete boat ramp, gravel parking area, and an American Disabilities Act (ADA) parking pad with connecting ADA floating pier.
DNR Hatcheries and Public Access Program Manager Jamie Smyth said the gravel parking area will be about 200 x 100 feet and will accommodate 10 to 12 parking spaces.
He said the DNR also must create a 375-foot-long, 10-foot-wide access road leading to the parking area from Emery Road.
“We can’t begin construction until after July 1 to avoid disturbing potential shoreline spawning areas,” Smyth said. “Weather permitting – and once construction begins – it will take about two weeks to complete.”
Those backwaters of Hudson Lake are relatively shallow and fill with lily pads and other aquatic plants during summertime. Smyth said DNR Fisheries Division has agreed to treat create a boat lane leading from the access out to the main lake.
“The water depth at the bank (where the ramp will be built) is about three to four feet,” Smyth said. “We will have to dig out that area to create the slope needed to install the ramp.”
The DNR has the government permit to do so.
Power up!
Smyth also said power loading won’t be an issue because “we’ve learned to run these ramps farther out into the lake to where boaters’ outboards won’t damage the (back) edge of the ramp.”
The access manager said the state has an ongoing process of rehabbing other state boat ramps and replacing older ones with the new style that extends farther into the lake.
In fact, access rehabs will be conducted this year on a handful of northern Indiana lakes to include Shock Lake (Kosciusko County), Everett Lake (Allen County) and Big Otter Lake (Stueben County). Not only will those access sites be brought up to ADA standards, but they will get new ramps as well.
Kudos to the Indiana DNR for figuring out that today’s world of bigger boats and horsepower require longer ramps to accommodate power loading.
Michigan hasn’t gotten the message. It prohibits power loading.
More funding needed
Funding for Indiana’s access construction and repairs comes solely from federal funds and fishing license money. Until about 10 years ago, the DNR received $300,000 a year in state appropriations for land acquisitions, but has since received none from the legislature. Since there is no money available for land purchases, any land it acquires for lake access must come from donors.
Michigan land acquisition funds come from multiple sources and amounts to several hundred thousand dollars annually. It had no problem paying nearly $600,000 for the new Eagle Lake access property that, ironically, has remained undeveloped since 2014 due to litigation brought on by the Eagle Lake Improvement Association.
In addition to lacking upfront money for land purchases, Indiana is limited to paying only market price. Also, the process to use grant money takes up to six months to complete.
Landowners can get more than market value for their lakefront property and most aren’t willing to wait six months to find out if the DNR can come up with the cash.
This could be fixed easily if state legislators got behind more public access, allotted access acquisition funds the way they once did, and resumed spending some of your tax dollars on something the public could enjoy.
It’s not just for fishermen, either. Public access areas are used by pleasure boaters, canoeists and kayakers who don’t fish, hence they don’t contribute through fishing tackle excise taxes or fishing licenses.