Jim Baird: “I appreciate my good friend from Texas allowing me to share with this body the program that I have for today. Madam…”

“I appreciate my good friend from Texas allowing me to share with this body the program that I have for today. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the overwhelming challenges plaguing a community in my district. It is located in White and Carroll Counties of west central Indiana. The communities surrounding Lakes Shafer and Freeman are a recreation destination for Hoosiers from all across the State and from Americans across the country. The Twin Lakes, as they are known, straddle the small community of Monticello. In the nearly 100 years since the two reservoirs were created by damming up the Tippecanoe River, their far-reaching attraction has created a flourishing local economy built on tourism, replete with the trappings of a family vacation, including its own amusement park, cruise boat, resort, marina, and much more. Despite all the buildup of amenities of this Hoosier destination, the lakes remained the focal point of the community and the driving force of the regional economy. Unfortunately, lake conditions can also have a negative impact on the local area. At the hands of Mother Nature and outside forces, these crown jewels of the region have been tarnished. On multiple occasions, Lake Freeman, because of drought conditions, has been drained to the riverbed that flows at the bottom.…”