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Lake Monroe beaches, fishing docks closed due to flooding

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Public beaches along the Lake Monroe shoreline remained closed more than a week after multiple rounds of heavy rain passed through south-central Indiana.

The beaches at Fairfax and Paynetown state recreation areas were closed by lake officials last weekend after several days of heavy downpours caused widespread flooding in the area.

Michael Prier, an office worker at the Paynetown office at Lake Monroe, told The Herald Times that lake waters on Thursday were up 6 feet from normal levels. Days earlier, the lake was 10 feet above normal.

Lake Monroe's public fishing docks also remain closed because of the high water.

Some county roads that are used to travel around the lake additionally remain underwater, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Boaters are encouraged by IDNR to use 'œextreme caution'ť on the lake due to possible floating debris and hidden obstacles in the lake.

All boat ramps and campgrounds near Lake Monroe remain open.

Most locations in south-central Indiana recorded between 10 and 18 inches of precipitation between June 1 and July 16, more than double the 7-inch average for that period, according to the National Weather Service in Indianapolis.

The nearby Indiana University weather reporting station recorded 16.91 inches of rain during the 46-day period, making it the rainiest 'œfirst-half of summer'ť in the station's 126-year record. The previous record was recorded in 2008, when 14.64 inches of rain fell.

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