Brown County State Park and Abe Martin Lodge closed to the public at about 4 p.m. today due to a lack of usable water supply caused by the heavy rainfall over the last several days.

The park will remain closed to the public tomorrow. The decision about closure beyond tomorrow is day-to-day.

The park’s water source is Ogle Lake, which is within park boundaries. Water is drawn from the lake and is treated through the park’s in-house facility.

The significantly larger-than-normal quantities of water coming into the lake has brought soil with it, increasing the water’s turbidity. The high turbidity prevents the system from reducing it for treatment quickly enough at the intake site. This has resulted in an insufficient quantity of water to supply park facilities.

The DNR Engineering staff and consultants who designed the system are on site working on the issue.

All campers who were in the park, about 50, are being notified, and the 16 campers who were scheduled to come in tonight as well as those scheduled for tomorrow night have been notified.

Abe Martin, the state park’s inn, was at about 50 percent occupancy. All guests are going home, and guests expected today were contacted and alerted.

Updates will be posted at stateparks.IN.gov/7881.htm and on social media. If additional camper or inn guest cancellations are required, those guests will be notified directly by park staff or through the central reservation system.

Brown County State Park (on.IN.gov/browncountysp) is at 1450 S.R. 46 E in Nashville, 47448.

To view all DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.