Duke Energy Indiana transmission towers repurposed for eagle nesting platforms at Wabashiki Fish & Wildlife Area in West Terre Haute
▪ The new installation will give park visitors the chance to see America's
most majestic bird in its natural habitat.
PLAINFIELD, Ind. – Duke Energy is converting two electric transmission towers that
have reached the end of their useful service life into nesting platforms for bald eagles at
the Wabashiki Fish & Wildlife Area in West Terre Haute, Ind.
In early August, Duke Energy will deploy a specialty helicopter crew to begin stripping
inactive electrical lines and equipment from 50-foot transmission towers that span
approximately 1,000 feet in the floodplain along the Wabash River. Crews will then work
to install two nesting platforms at the top of the towers. The platforms will each be 8 feet
wide and 6 feet long and constructed with fiberglass grating and steel supports – strong
and large enough to accommodate bald eagles’ colossal nests, which are the largest of
any North American bird. Eagle nests typically measure 5 to 6 feet wide and 2 feet deep
and are lined with grass, moss and sometimes cattails.
According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, more than 350 bald eagle
nesting territories have been recorded in Indiana. The birds have periodically been
spotted at Wabashiki Fish & Wildlife Area since it opened to the public in 2010. With the
addition of these nesting platforms, park officials hope to attract even more of these
once federal- and state-endangered species to the area.
“A lot of hard work has gone into restoring the bald eagle population in Indiana over the
last 50 years, and their recovery is one of our state’s great conservation success
stories,” said Adam Grossman, superintendent of the Vigo County Parks and Recreation
Department. “The creation of nesting towers like these have been critical in supporting
their survival here, and we’re grateful for partners like Duke Energy that are finding
creative ways to support these majestic birds and allow them to thrive right here in West
Terre Haute.”
The project will be completed in early September, long before eagles begin looking for
nesting sites in January and February. Local residents can expect to see and hear
helicopter activity in the area during daylight hours as the work progresses. Property
owners near the impacted transmission line have been notified of this work by mail, and
Duke Energy account holders are being notified through calls or text messages. The
helicopter may cause wind disturbance at ground level. Homeowners have been
advised to secure outdoor furniture or other items that could be moved by the wind.
“Conservation is an integral part of who we are as a company,” said Rick Burger,
government and community relations manager at Duke Energy. “We’re proud to partner
with the Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department to repurpose these
transmission towers in an innovative and sustainable way to build a better future for the
environment and the communities we serve.”
The Wabashiki Fish & Wildlife Area’s 2,600 acres of lush marshland along the west
bank of the Wabash River make it an ideal natural habitat for bald eagles. As the water
level of the river rises and falls, receding floodwaters trap large numbers of fish in the
floodplain. Pools of water abundant with stranded fish remain and offer rich hunting
grounds for eagles and other wildlife.
The Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department hopes to one day build a viewing
platform at the Dewey Point trailhead for visitors to come and safely observe eagles that
may eventually settle down at the nesting platforms.
Duke Energy Indiana
Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides about 6,300 megawatts of
owned electric capacity to approximately 870,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile
service area, making it Indiana’s largest electric supplier.