The Madam Carroll sits docked on the Tippecanoe River as low water levels reveal a sandy riverbank across the river, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020 in Monticello. Staff photo by Nikos Frazier
MONTICELLO — Imagine moving a restaurant 50 feet, then having to run water, sewer and electrical lines to the new location, as well as pave a new entry way for customers.
That's just one of the the problems facing the owners of the Madam Carroll, Lake Freeman's popular floating bar and entertainment venue.
“We’re docked, and we’re having to keep pushing this thing out to keep depth,” said Chris Peters, one of Madam Carroll's owners. “We don’t have the luxury of time in this scenario.”
By order of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, the Oakdale Dam, which is Lake Freeman's outlet, must discharge a specific amount of water downstream to protect an endangered species of mussels, said John Koppelmann, who chairs the Shafer Freeman Lakes Environmental Conservation Corp's task force on lake levels.
They're fighting that order because they believe the calculations of how much water must be released from Lake Freeman is in error, Koppelmann said. A hearing in a federal court is scheduled for next month.
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