Geist Reservoir is a reservoir in the northeastern part of metropolitan Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It was constructed in 1943 by damming Fall Creek to provide water for Indianapolis. Upon completion, Geist Reservoir was the second-largest man-made lake in Indiana, providing approximately 6900000000 gal of water. 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.

History

Geist Reservoir was named after Clarence H. Geist, a former owner of the Indianapolis Water Company, who foresaw a deficit in Indianapolis's water supply and envisioned the Geist Reservoir to preemptively address the problem. 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 gradually bought some 5000 acre in the Fall Creek Valley in the 1920s and 1930s, including the small town of Germantown, which today lies at the bottom of the reservoir. Although controversial, the reservoir was completed in 1943, five years after Clarence Geist's death. In the 1960s further controversy arose over plans for commercial and residential development in the area around the lake. A proposal in the 1970s to triple the size of the reservoir was defeated, and a housing boom began in the lake area. In recent years the Geist area has experienced rapid growth. The area is noted for its topography and the reservoir. In recent years the reservoir has experienced problems with algal blooms and invasive aquatic species. As the result of a series of sales, the water company and the reservoir are now owned by Citizens Energy Group.

Description

Geist Reservoir Dam is located at the lake's southern end. Fed by Fall Creek on the north, the lake overflow is directed into the creek again at the south. The earthen dam is 40 ft high, with an overall length of 1900 ft. The reservoir capacity is 60,000 acre-feet (74,000,000 m3), although normal storage is 21,180 acre-feet (26,100,000 m3). The reservoir is mostly rather shallow (10 ft or less); the depth at the dam is 26 ft and the maximum depth is 48 ft. Geist Reservoir covers 1900 acres and spans three counties in Indiana (Marion, Hamilton, and Hancock), four voting precincts, three school districts (Lawrence, Hamilton Southeastern, and Mt. Vernon), and features five different ZIP codes (46037, 46256, 46236, 46040, 46055). The area has undergone rapid development and some high-valued homes now line the reservoir's waterfront.

Citizens Reservoir

In 2019, Citizens Energy Group began work to convert a former limestone quarry adjacent to Geist Reservoir into a supplemental reservoir named Citizens Reservoir. Situated near the southern shore of the north end of Geist, the new reservoir covers 88 acre and is 220 ft deep. It holds 3000000000 USgal, equal to almost half the capacity of Geist Reservoir itself. Up to 100000000 USgal a day can be diverted into Citizens Reservoir when Geist Reservoir is full instead of going over the latter's spillway. When needed, up to 30000000 USgal a day can be pumped from Citizens back into Geist. Construction was completed in 2020, and the reservoir was filled by early 2021. The limestone quarry was previously owned by Irving Materials Inc. and had operated for 50 years before closing in 2018. Citizens Energy spent over $20 million on the project.