SFLECC Spring 2025 Updates

⚙️ Dredging Equipment Overhaul

Maintaining our dredging equipment is a top priority. In January 2025, our dredge and fuel barge were removed from Lake Shafer for maintenance. The dredge motor was sent to northern Indiana for a complete rebuild and returned to our garage on April 21^st and is now back in the water. It should serve us for another 7–8 years.

While the motor was being repaired, our dredge crew worked on refurbishing the barge base, including scraping and applying a rubber sealant to prevent leaks. They have also been busy running our excavator to move silt in our retention ponds and installing new chains and other parts to ensure optimal performance.

Dredging areas for the 2025 season include locations north of 8289 N Kiger Dr on Lake Shafer, progressing downriver toward N Barekman Ct. The 12-inch dredge pump will remove sediments brought down from the Tippecanoe River. Please be aware of the pipeline and buoys marking the dredging zones, which are within Idle Zones enforced by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

🛠️ Fuel Barge Maintenance

The fuel barge was also removed for repairs, including stabilization spuds. All maintenance has been completed, and it’s back in the water alongside the dredge barge.

🌿 Invasive Vegetation

Eurasian watermilfoil was found in Lake Shafer last year and was successfully treated with ProcellaCOR. An Invasive Vegetation Committee was created last fall and will continue to monitor and plan next steps. In the off season, they attended a conference to learn more about invasive aquatic vegetation. More information on invasive species identification and what you can do to treat and stop the spread of milfoil is available on the website under Aquatic Vegetation info. SFLECC would like to thank the businesses, organizations and homeowners that have donated to SFLECC’s efforts in eradicating Eurasian watermilfoil!

🐟 Fish Stocking

In March of this year, we stocked 2,700 6-8″ Largemouth Bass in Lake Freeman and 2,700 of the same in Lake Shafer, all thanks to a grant from NiSource/NIPSCO. Happy angling!

🌿 Cleanup Crew

Two seasonal employees for our Cleanup Crew have been hired again this year. These positions start in mid-May and run through August. The Cleanup Crew operates on Lake Freeman and Lake Shafer using pontoon boats marked “SFLECC.”

To report large floating logs:

Call SFLECC at (574) 583-9784 to submit a work order.
If a tree is still attached to the shoreline, it cannot be removed due to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources regulations protecting fish habitats.
Please be patient; our crew is addressing tickets in the order received.

How you can help: