Highlight: The Renovation and Improvement of Indiana’s Beaver Lake Dam After 2008 Flooding

In 2008, a major flood in Dubois County, Indiana, led to a federal disaster declaration. The flooding left portions of several local roads under water and made them impassible for several weeks. This substantially impacted the regional economy, affecting local employers and employees that relied on these public roads.

The City of Jasper, Indiana, needed to substantially renovate and improve the Beaver Lake Dam to prevent adverse economic impacts from future flooding. The dam did not meet safety standards set by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources at the time of the flooding.

The total cost of the infrastructure upgrades was $3.6 million. A $2.2 million EDA grant helped pay for improvements to the dam’s structure and Disaster Recovery Funds and $1.4 million in local matching funds helped cover the rest. Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission assisted in securing the grant funding.

EDA’s investment enabled the creation of 586 new jobs and $12.9 million in new private investment. The project financed the construction of a new spillway, raised the level of the dam structure, and paid for the demolition of a water intake tower.

Additionally, new commercial and public investments totaling $52 million have been added to the project ($35 million River Centre Mixed-Use Development and ground breaking of the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center $17 million).