USACE announces the update of the Cecil M. Harden Lake Shoreline Management Plan

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District has updated the Shoreline Management Plan for Cecil M. Harden Lake located in Rockville, Indiana. The Cecil M. Harden Shoreline Management Plan has been updated due to USACE assuming sole responsibility of the program, which was previously managed in coordination with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

The purpose of the USACE Shoreline Management Program is to protect and manage shorelines of all Civil Works water resource development projects under USACE jurisdiction in a manner that promotes the safe and healthful use by the public while maintaining environmental safeguards to ensure a quality resource for use by the public.

The final copy of the 2024 Shoreline Management Plan can be viewed at the following link: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll7/id/26108

For those impacted, the new shoreline management plan implementation process will be prioritized in the following way:

1. Work with Current Community Dock Owners: USACE will first transition current lake dock owners from the previous Indiana Department of Natural Resources permit to the new USACE permit. USACE personnel will contact existing dock managers to initiate the new permit application process.
2. Process Change of Owner Actions: USACE personnel will process all change of owner actions that have occurred since the moratorium was put in place. Individuals that have purchased property after March 16, 2023, will need to contact the project office to apply for associated permits and licenses. 
3. Accept Requests: USACE will accept requests for Vegetation Modification Permits and Hazardous Tree Permits. A description of these activities can be found in Section 18 of the Shoreline Management Plan. 
4. New Applications: USACE will issue new seawall licenses and community dock permits based on the new requirements described in the updated shoreline management plan. These requirements can be found in Sections 10 and 16 of the updated plan. All Indiana Department of Natural Resources bank ties/mooring permits will be honored through 2025. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, all bank ties/mooring permits will no longer be valid, and boats will need to be moored to a seawall or community dock after this date. 

All lake visitors will still need to purchase the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Lake Permit that is required to launch a boat on Cecil M. Harden Lake.

For additional information about the shoreline management plan visit https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/Submit-ArticleCS/Projects/Article/3640743/cecil-m-harden-lake/.

For more information, contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District Public Affairs Office at (502) 315-6767 or for specific questions regarding the new shoreline management plan or implementation process, contact the USACE Cecil M. Harden Lake project office at (765) 344-1570.

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