Dry weather affects Raccoon Lake

PARKE COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - Donna Wright came to Raccoon Lake in hopes of a fun-filled birthday week.

However, she's spent some of her time battling low water levels.

"Waiting for it to rain, waiting so I could dock it and it wouldn't cost me to dock it by the camp grounds, waiting and waiting, it never came," Wright said.

The lack of rain has kept people from being able to use the beach area, a surprise to these girls.

"There's like no boats, the water we've only seen like two, we expected like people swimming and boats buzzing around and tubes and just a bunch of fun stuff, but there really wasn't anything here," Kyla Townsend and Lexie Rich said.

Officials at Raccoon Lake said they need a solid week's worth of rain to get the water back up.

"We're eight feet below summer pool and somewhere around 8 feet and we're dropping a little bit each day, so we're kind of getting further from where we need to be," Raccoon Lake Boat Rental Employee Brad Suiters

In addition to the beach being closed, the lack of rain cut the number of boat slips in half.

They usually can hold 30 boats, but are only able to dock 11 or 12.

"The ramps get more crowded because people drop their boats in every time they want to use them or some people just resort to beaching their boat up next to their docks which could maybe do some damage down underneath of them," Suiters said.

It's been a hassle for many vacationers like Donna.

However, she said the trouble didn't make her turn back.

"I thought about that and then the time I got it out and started it off through water, I'm like oh yes, this is worth every penny," Wright said.

Raccoon Lake Boat Rental said they haven't seen as many walk-ins or day trips.

However, they said weekend reservations still get booked.