Hamilton County, Indiana has banned all recreational use of the White River through Aug. 25 after historic flooding rerouted the river into an active limestone quarry and destroyed a bridge, creating conditions that county officials say can kill anyone who enters the water. Kayakers, canoeers, tubers, swimmers, and waders are prohibited from the river under a Hamilton County Local Emergency Proclamation issued Aug. 18 — and law enforcement is authorized to enforce the order at any county-owned river access point. Anyone who sees someone in the river or attempting to enter it should call 911 immediately, according to the Hamilton County Commissioners.
The ban is not precautionary. Severe storms beginning Aug. 11 dropped more than 11 inches of rain on parts of central Indiana in two days, according to the National Weather Service’s August 2026 flood summary, pushing the White River to 24.6 feet in Noblesville — a crest that broke the 23.8-foot record set in 1913. The floodwaters washed out the Hazel Dell Parkway bridge over Blue Woods Creek near 106th Street in Carmel, redirecting the creek’s flow into the Martin Marietta limestone quarry. The White River is now following that altered course. The result: a recreational waterway has been transformed, at least temporarily, into an active industrial hazard.
“The current is powerful and unpredictable, and once it takes control, there may be no way out,” Hamilton County Commissioner Christine Altman warned. “Stay out of the White River.”
What Does the White River Ban Actually Prohibit?
The Local Emergency Proclamation covers every form of water contact: kayaking, canoeing, tubing, swimming, wading, and any other entry into the river. The order exempts emergency management personnel and first responders. It runs through Aug. 25 unless amended or rescinded by the commissioners. Law enforcement officers are authorized to close access points on county-owned property; there is no publicly stated civil penalty in available county communications, but violations put individuals in a documented death zone and can result in removal by authorities. The terms of the emergency proclamation are published by Hamilton County officials…