KNOX, Ind. (AP) — State officials say cars and trucks driving along the shoreline of a lake near Knox are damaging a rare aquatic plant exposed by low water levels amid the state's worst drought in decades.
State Conservation Officer Keith Wildeman says conservation officers and the Division of Nature Preservers are urging the public not to drive along Bass Lake's drought-exposed flanks about 30 miles southwest of South Bend.
He says conservation officers have found vehicle tracks in areas along the 1,400-acre lake where a state-endangered aquatic plant grows.
Wildeman says officials don't want to disclose the plant's name for fear that plant collectors might cause additional damage.
He says the plant is found in less than five Indiana locations. That includes Bass Lake, which is one of Indiana's largest natural lakes.
