Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
SALEM – After decades of providing drinking water to Salem, Lake Salinda had outlived its usefulness.
Maintenance costs made the lake no longer a feasible option and the pumps were removed.
City leaders saw the lake as an asset ripe for development and now Lake Salinda is becoming a recreation destination for the residents of Washington County and the surrounding region.
Over the past several months, local volunteers established a mountain bike path and walking trails. Another recent addition is a kayak launch.
On April 11, the vision was further realized when two public art installations were dedicated.
The art pieces were a collaboration between Salem residents and students in the IU Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program and the ServeDesign Center. Fabrication was led by McIntyre Bros. of Bedford.
The students, under the leadership of faculty members Brittain Brewer and Jeeyea Kim, partnered with the City of Salem, the Washington County Community Foundation and local high school students to understand the regional culture and heritage of Salem and Lake Salinda. Inspired by that exploration, IU students designed two public art installations to attract more visitors and build upon the City of Salem’s plans for expanded recreation at the lake. The project received support from the IU Center for Rural Engagement’s Sustaining Hoosier Communities partnership with Washington County.
Funding was provided by the Washington County Community Foundation and a grant from the ServeDesign Center.
From six original proposals, “Revival” and “Common Link” were selected. The sculptures pay homage to Washington County’s history of quilting.
In 2020, The Washington County Community Foundation started a partnership with IU Center for Rural Engagement.
“In that role we worked with students and professors on potential projects in the county and one of them was to enhance Lake Salinda to make it more appealing and more of a destination,” said Judy Johnson, WCCF executive director.
The result, Johnson said, is a natural area that is “peaceful, relaxing and beautiful.”
In addition to the sculptures, there are concrete games of cornhole and a chess/checkers table that were funded by the WCCF and IU Center for Rural Engagement.
Salem Mayor Justin Green said turning Lake Salinda into public recreation made the most sense.
“We saw it as an asset right in our backyard and we should turn it into a family-friendly place of recreation,” Green said. “It could have sat and been underutilized so why not make the most of it.”
Lake Salinda is located about one mile south of Salem on Ind. 135 and is maintained by the Salem Parks and Recreation Department. The property covers more than 100 acres, with the lake comprising 80 acres.
Looking ahead, the city of Salem plans to add 30 electrical campsites and construct a new bath house/shower facility. The city received a READI Communities Quality of Place grant of $280,000 to construct the bath house.
Green anticipates the camping area to be completed in 2024. Green said the city will continue to develop a vision for Lake Salinda.
“We hope to drive a lot of people to this,” Green said. “It’s not just a Salem or Washington County attraction but another attraction for people in the region.”