The text below comes from a IndianaDunes.com web page available at the time of this project's development...

On Sept. 14, 2011, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with Rep. Joe Donnelly (IN-2) and LaPorte County representatives, held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the end of construction at Red Mill Pond.

Red Mill Pond is a significant ecosystem of 160 acres in the headwaters of the Little Calumet River, inclusive of a 108-acre State of Indiana Nature Preserve. This project protects and restores the current high-quality wetland habitat by maintaining existing water levels, creating an in-stream channel, restoring native plant species, and improving fish habitat.

"I thank the U.S. Army Corps for making this investment in LaPorte County", Rep. Donnelly said. "I'm proud to support the preservation of our Great Lakes, and I was pleased to participate in the ribbon cutting when the Army Corps broke ground on this project last year. We are fortunate that a resource in our community was selected as the first project under the Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration program. I look forward to continuing to work with the Army Corps as we remain dedicated to protecting our Great Lakes."

The Red Mill Pond is a Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration (GLFER) project - the first to be constructed under this program. GLFER, authorized in Section 506 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000, provides the authority to plan, design, and construct projects that support the restoration of fisheries, ecosystems, and beneficial uses of the Great Lakes. The construction contract for the project was awarded to Conservation Land Stewardship, Inc. on Jan. 29, 2010. The contract cost was $893,000 and construction was completed on July 29, 2011. The local sponsor for the project is LaPorte County Parks and Recreation Board.

"The Army Corps of Engineers is pleased to be a part of this ecosystem restoration project", District Engineer Col. Frederic Drummond said. Red Mill Pond is a valuable natural and recreational resource for LaPorte County and the surrounding communities.