Rain, Rain and More Rain!

Despite the amazing number of rain events this year in southern Indiana, we have been able to get into the cave to do cave fish counts at least once per month! Why does rain matter? While it is an important part of the cave ecosystem, when it has rained recently and the water level is higher, the water has less clarity, making it difficult to observe the cave fish. Additionally the water current in the cave makes it such that the fish may not show themselves. They are "hiding" so to speak. However, we can show through our visits that when the water is clear and at a lower level, more cave fish are visible.

We had planned to take the Heidelberg Materials Midwest Interns on a little jaunt into the cave on July 28, but nature was having nothing of it! On the late summer day which was in the 90s Fahrenheit, with a heat index way over 100, we all stood and looked at the water just pouring out of the cave entrance! Not safe today!! Tom and Keith did give the undergraduate college students a bit of a background and tour of the area near the cave.

Pictured below is the entrance to Hamer Cave. Heidelberg Materials owns the cave entrance, which is surrounded by Spring Mill State Park, and retains the water rights to the cave. There is too much water, with a strong current, to make it safe for entry that day. To say that we were disappointed is an understatement!

Also pictured is Principal Researcher, Tom Sollman, talking to the students and Heidelberg employees, at the entrance viewing area.

Tom continued the conversation down the trail a bit, with the dam in the background. It was a cool (literally and figuratively) place to be on a hot day.

The final photo is the interns posing in front of the historic grist mill which has been powered by water from Hamer Cave since 1817. The historic mill now operates as part of Spring Mill State Park's Pioneer Village.

All photos compliments of Wendy Krause, Midwest Environmental & Land Resources Director at Heidelberg