DVIDS – News – USACE Announces Updated Cecil M. Harden Lake Shoreline Management Plan

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

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

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

For those affected, the process of implementing the new coastal management plan will be prioritized as follows:

1. Work with Current Community Dock Owners: USACE will begin by transferring current lake dock owners from the previous Indiana Department of Natural Resources permit to the new USACE permit. USACE staff will contact existing dock managers to begin the new permit application process.
2. Change of Ownership Process: USACE staff will process all change of ownership actions that have occurred since the moratorium was put in place. Individuals who purchased property after March 16, 2023, will need to contact the project office to request associated permits and licenses.
3. Accepting Applications: USACE will accept applications for vegetation alteration 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 outlined in the updated Shoreline Management Plan. These requirements are found in Sections 10 and 16 of the updated plan. All Indiana Department of Natural Resources mooring/shoreline tie-down permits will be honored through 2025. Effective January 1, 2026, all mooring/shoreline tie-down permits will no longer be valid and boats must be moored at a seawall or community dock after that date.

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

For more 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 the implementation process, contact the USACE Cecil M. Harden Lake Project Office at (765) 344-1570.

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