Hardy Lake, originally named Quick Creek Reservoir, is an Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

 state reservoir

Reservoir

A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

 in Scott

Scott County, Indiana

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,960 people, 8,832 households, and 6,491 families residing in the county. The population density was 121 people per square mile . There were 9,737 housing units at an average density of 51 per square mile...

 and Jefferson

Jefferson County, Indiana

Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 32,428. The county seat is Madison.-History:Jefferson County was formed in 1811...

 counties, Indiana. It is located four miles (6 km) east of Austin, Indiana

Austin, Indiana

Austin is a city in Jennings Township, Scott County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,295 at the 2010 census. Austin became Indiana's newest city on January 1, 2008.-Geography:Austin is located at ....

 and 35 miles (56.3 km) north of Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

. It is the smallest reservoir maintained by the state of Indiana, measuring 2448 acres (9.9 km²) of total property, and 741 acres (3 km²) of surface area for the lake. The lake is approximately 38 feet (11.6 m) deep.

Hardy Lake is surrounded by other state and federal properties. Fifteen miles to the north is the Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge

Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge

The Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located three miles east of Seymour, Indiana, on U.S. Route 50. Established in 1966, it comprises in its main area of eastern Jackson and western Jennings counties, and an additional in northwestern Monroe County, near...

, 12 miles to the northeast is Crosley Fish and Wildlife Area; 15 miles to the east is Clifty Falls State Park

Clifty Falls State Park

Clifty Falls State Park is an Indiana state park on in Jefferson County, Indiana in the United States. It is northeast of Louisville, Kentucky....

; 20 miles to the south is Clark State Forest; and 20 miles to the west is Starve Hollow S.R.A.

Creation

The reservoir was constructed in 1970 by damming Quick's Creek. The state hoped the reservoir would provide a stable source of water for nearby communities in Scott County. The lake's water elevation does remain at a stable level, unlike the water elevations of most reservoirs. The dam that creates the reservoir is an earth filled dam, 52 feet (15.8 m) high and 376 feet (114.6 m) wide, downstream of 12 square miles (31.1 km²) of drainage area. The reservoir is now used as a back-up source of water for the Stucker Fork Conservancy District, whose primary source of water is the East Fork of the Muscatatuck River

Muscatatuck River

The Muscatatuck River is a bifurcate river in south-central Indiana. It is a major tributary of the East Fork of the White River, and drains . In one area it serves as the southern boundary of the main unit of the Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge...

.

When Hardy Lake was completed, Indiana governor Otis R. Bowen

Otis R. Bowen

Otis Ray Bowen, M.D. is a retired U.S. politician and physician. He served as the 44th Governor of Indiana from 1973 to 1981 and as Secretary of Health and Human Services from 1985 to 1989.-Early life:...

 hailed it as part of his goal of having a park controlled by the state of Indiana within driving distance of every Hoosier

Hoosier

Hoosier is the official demonym for a resident of the U.S. state of Indiana. Although residents of most U.S. states typically adopt a derivative of the state name, e.g., "Indianan" or "Indianian", natives of Indiana rarely use these. Indiana adopted the nickname "Hoosier State" more than 150...

. Hardy Lake is part of a statewide system of reservoirs created during the 1960s and 1970s by the state of Indiana and the United States Army Corps of Engineers

United States Army Corps of Engineers

The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...

.

Other uses

Other features of the park include the McClain Cemetery, which dates back to the 18th century, a mound of Allegheny mound ant

Allegheny mound ant

The Allegheny mound ant is a species of ant native to the Atlantic area of North America. Its range extends from Nova Scotia to parts of Georgia. Like other field ants, the Allegheny mound ant builds large mounds, however this species tends to build some of the largest...

s, foxfire

Foxfire (bioluminescence)

Foxfire, also sometimes referred to as "fairy fire", is the bioluminescence created by some species of fungi present in decaying wood. The bluish green glow is attributed to luciferase, an oxidizing agent, which emits light as it reacts with luciferin...

, and a trail exclusively designed to test one's archery

Archery

Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...

 skills. Seasonal fishing and hunting are permitted within the park. The park contains a large population of fish that includes bluegill

Bluegill

The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...

, catfish

Catfish

Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...

, black crappie

Crappie

Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...

, largemouth bass

Largemouth bass

The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...

, redear sunfish

Redear sunfish

The redear sunfish , also known as the shellcracker, Georgia bream, cherry gill, chinquapin, improved bream, rouge ear sunfish and sun perch, is native to the southeastern United States, but since it is a popular sport fish it has been introduced to bodies of water all over North America...

, and tiger muskie. Animals available to hunt not only include the typical deer

Deer

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...

 and turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

, but quail

Quail

Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...

, snipe

Snipe

A snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the...

, and woodchuck as well. The lake is open to boating and fishing with has four public access ramps. The park is also home several species of birds including the Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

The Red-necked Grebe is a migratory aquatic bird found in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Its wintering habitat is largely restricted to calm waters just beyond the waves around ocean coasts, although some birds may winter on large lakes...

, Mute Swan

Mute Swan

The Mute Swan is a species of swan, and thus a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is native to much of Europe and Asia, and the far north of Africa. It is also an introduced species in North America, Australasia and southern Africa. The name 'mute' derives from it being less...

, Snow Goose

Snow Goose

The Snow Goose , also known as the Blue Goose, is a North American species of goose. Its name derives from the typically white plumage. The genus of this bird is disputed...

, and Black Vulture

Black vulture

Black vulture may refer to:* American Black Vulture* Eurasian Black Vulture...

. Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium-sized hawk. Its breeding range spans eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico.-Description:...

s are particularly noteworthy and nest around the lake in early spring through mid-summer.

The state's Division of Parks and Reservoirs maintains both primitive and modern camping sites in the park surrounding the lake. The park also includes a public swimming beach, bathhouses, and hiking trails making it a popular camping location. The Hardy Lake Sweep occurs annually at the lake when members of 4-H

4-H

4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...

, the Boy Scouts of America

Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...

 and the Girl Scouts of the USA

Girl Scouts of the USA

The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...

camp in the park for a weekend of work to clear the park's roads and shoreline of any litter.