Prairie Creek Reservoir Stream Bank Restoration 2015 - Prairie Creek Reservoir is Muncie Indiana's largest park and recreational haven, offering fishing, swimming, boating, beach amenities, water sports, hiking, biking, dirt bike trail, multi-use trails, and horse trails. Cabins, campsites, shelters, and piers are available for rent. The 1,252 acre reservoir was created in 1959, is a stream fed water storage facility for drinking water, which is stocked with game fish and has a 2,300 acre park surrounding it. The bank restoration was funded through LARE and was part of Goal B of the Prairie Creek Master Plan established in 2007. There were approximately 320 linear feet of shoreline breaking down from erosion and undercutting. During a site inspection in the spring of 2015, it was found an ice heave had created additional damage.
Work on the project began on May 7 by reducing the slope along approx.130 ft and removing concrete debris. Limestone armament was thinned along approx. 200 ft. Two downed trees were also removed from the reservoir.
May 11 through 13, began with cleaning debris from the site. The newly graded slope was hand prepared for seeding with a soil stablization seed mix and a low stature prairie mix. Next, erosion blankets were laid over the seeded soil.
200 feet of 20" diameter and 120 feet of 12" diameter coir log were installed.
Various submergent herbaceous plants were planted between the shore and coir log and submergent herbaceous vegetation bare-roots were planted within the coir log. Eleven coralberry, thirty silky dogwood shrubs,and various prairie forbs were planted through the erosion blankets. Lastly, goose guard was installed.