![]() Upon completion, it became the second-largest man-made lake in Indiana. It officially opened for business in 1943, and was named for Clarence Geist, who died before construction even began. Work on Geist Reservoir started in 1941, which included clearing land, building a dam and redirecting water from Fall Creek. That community had been established in 1834, according to its history page on the “This is Fishers” website. The company, led by owner and president Clarence Geist, started buying up what was then mostly farmland in the area surrounding Fall Creek, along with one small community called Germantown. They started looking at land that is now Geist Reservoir.” “The natural supply they were getting from the White River and Fall Creek wasn’t going to be sufficient. “At that time, they did a report looking at the future water needs of Indianapolis,” she said. She said the reservoir was developed by the Indianapolis Water Co., and planning for the large project started in the late 1920s. Suzanne Hahn is vice president of Archives and Library with the Indiana Historical Society. It was built with a very practical purpose in mind, and recreation was restricted for many decades. Vernon), and features five different ZIP codes (46037, 46256, 46236, 46040, 46055).Geist Reservoir is a place for summer outdoor fun, with boating, fishing and swimming opportunities. ![]() Geist Reservoir covers 1,900 acres and spans three counties in Indiana (Marion, Hamilton, and Hancock), four voting precincts, three school districts (Lawrence, Hamilton Southeastern, and Mt. The area has undergone rapid development and some high-valued homes now line the reservoir's waterfront. ![]() The reservoir is mostly rather shallow (10 feet or less). The reservoir capacity is 60,000 acre-feet, although normal storage is 21,180 acre-feet. The earthen dam is 44 feet high, with a length of 1,400 feet at its crest. Fed by Fall Creek on the north, the lake overflow is directed into the creek again at the south. Geist Reservoir Dam is located at the lake's southern end. In recent years the reservoir has experienced problems with algal blooms and invasive aquatic species. The area is noted for its topography and the reservoir. In recent years the Geist area has experienced rapid growth. A proposal in the 1970s to triple the size of the reservoir was defeated, and a housing boom began in the lake area. In the 1960s further controversy arose over plans for commercial and residential development in the area around the lake. Although controversial, the reservoir was completed in 1943, five years after Clarence Geist's death. Geist gradually bought some 5,000 acres in Fall Creek Valley in the 1920s and 1930s, including the small town of Germantown, which today lies at the bottom of the reservoir. Planning for the reservoir began as early as 1913, when hydraulic engineers estimated that White River and Fall Creek would not provide enough water for the increasing needs of Indianapolis. Geist Reservoir was named after Clarence Geist, a former owner of the Indianapolis Water Company who foresaw a deficit in Indianapolis's water supply and envisioned Geist Reservoir to preemptively address the problem. The reservoir is located primarily in the northeast corner of Indianapolis and the southeast corner of Fishers, but small parts reach into the nearby towns of Lawrence, Fortville, and McCordsville. Upon completion, Geist Reservoir was the second-largest man-made lake in Indiana, providing approximately 7,000,000,000 US gallons of water. It was constructed in 1943 by damming Fall Creek to provide water for Indianapolis. Geist Reservoir is a reservoir in the northeastern part of metropolitan Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. ![]()
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