Wapehani Mountain Bike Park Closed Through December 2018 for Removal of Weimer Lake Dam

Bloomington, Ind.—Wapehani Mountain Bike Park at 3401 W. Wapehani Rd. will close for most of the remainder of 2018, beginning July 9. The closure is for safety as contractors move in excavation equipment to continue the process of removing the Weimer Lake dam.

Following an inspection report issued by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources in 2015, the City of Bloomington Utilities Department determined Weimer Lake is no longer needed as a water supply reservoir and opted to remove the dam.

Contractor Associates Four Services removed trees from the dam last January. They will install pipe, a pump, and hose to begin pumping one to two feet of water per day out of Weimer Lake. If there are no weather delays, the lake will be dewatered in late July, and dam removal will begin.

The Weimer Lake dam will be removed slowly, in stages, to prevent flooding downstream. Ultimately, a V-shaped notch in the dam will allow the lake to drain over time, and sediment control measures will prevent the movement of mud and debris downstream. 

The Wapehani Mountain Bike Park will be temporarily closed for three to six months for safety while large equipment is present in the park for dam removal. 

Once the dam is removed, Bloomington Parks and Recreation, working with Eco Logic LLC, will restore the lake bed to a wetland. More than 500 native trees, shrubs, and plants will be installed in the former lake bed as the flow of Clear Creek returns to its original channel.  

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