The White River is open to recreational users again for the first time in more than a week, but Hamilton County officials say that milestone should not be mistaken for the end of flood recovery.
The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners lifted the travel warning prohibiting recreational travel on the river, effective immediately, while extending the county’s local disaster declaration another seven days. The declaration now runs through Sept. 3.
The river ban was issued Aug. 18 after historic flooding created what commissioners called life-threatening conditions — contamination, submerged debris and a river that had carved itself a new course into the Martin Marietta limestone quarry near 106th Street and Hazel Dell Parkway in Carmel. Commissioners warned at the time that boaters swept past 116th Street risked being pulled into the quarry’s steep drop-offs or into the wreckage of a washed-out bridge.
Recent inspections and testing show conditions have improved substantially. Water sampling by the Hamilton County Health Department found the White River has returned to pre-flood sanitation levels. The river’s course has been corrected so it no longer flows into the quarry. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has determined the river is navigable, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources found no immediate threat to the public that would prevent recreational activity.
“This is an important sign of progress, but it does not mean our recovery is over,” said Christine Altman, president of the Hamilton County Commissioners. “We are comfortable lifting the travel ban based on the testing and inspections that have been completed, but we still need people to use good judgment on the river. Debris and other hazards may remain in some areas. At the same time, families and neighborhoods across Hamilton County are still recovering from tremendous damage, which is why extending the disaster declaration remains necessary.”
The extended declaration allows Hamilton County Emergency Management and other county departments to continue coordinating response and recovery work, request assistance and pursue reimbursement from state and federal agencies. The declaration notes flooding impacts remain countywide, including significant infrastructure damage.
Fishers takes a different path
Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness chose not to extend the local disaster emergency he declared Aug. 15. That declaration expired Aug. 22, and the city has not renewed it. City operations, utilities and schools have returned to normal status, though road and park closures remain in the Fall Creek and White River areas.
The county’s decision to keep its declaration alive comes days after the recovery picture changed significantly. President Trump approved a major disaster declaration Aug. 26 covering 21 Indiana counties, with Hamilton County approved for both individual assistance and public assistance. Individual assistance matters here because standard homeowner policies exclude flood damage and many of the damaged homes sat outside mapped floodplains.
Residents can apply at disasterassistance.gov, by phone at 800-621-3362 or through the FEMA app.
The White River crested at 24.56 feet during the August storms, breaking a 113-year-old record. The Hamilton County Council has appropriated $2.85 million for flood recovery.