Stebbinsville Dam could face removal

Janesville Gazette

Once again, the posts at the end of the story are more entertaining than the story itself.

How can anyone compare Stebbinsville to Indianford? And for the record, North American Hydro does not operate the Dam at Indianford.

Stebbinsville Dam

Stebbinsville dam owner Peter Burno is feuding with the Wisconsin DNR again over the structure. The state claims the dam needs to be removed and Burno is resisting

Photo by Bill Olmsted

What is a Boat Wake?

This is a boat wake during a Slow No Wake posted order...not the worst (or best) example of a violation, but during high water/flood stage, it is enough to earn a citation.


Blackhawk Island, Rock River, Lake Koshkonong,
Jefferson County, WI

A note from local law enforcement re: Blackhawk Island

Brian -
I spent some time near Fort checking out the river from shore as well as from various residences and landings. The temps started to dip around 6pm tonight (Fri.) and the boats were thinning out. I made contact with 4 returning boats at the public boat landing under the Hwy 26 overpass south of Fort Atkinson and directly across from the road leading to Blackhawk Island.

All four were fishermen, and each were happy to fill me in on what is going on. I had to chuckle when I told my wife that they were very grateful to see an officer out there. Judging from the correct registration, valid fishing licenses, and openly visible safety equipment on board their boats; they all appeared to be examples of what we like to see...as Henry says, their "ducks in a row".

With that said, they all told nearly the same story. There are a few that appear to be disregarding the SNW signs that are posted. A fisherman on the side of Hwy 106 outside of Fort, 2 residents up the street from the Hwy 26 launch, and the Lake Link postings echo the stories told by the people I spoke with at the landing.

They all described a few boats that appear to be thumbing their noses at the citizens, the posted Jefferson Co. Sheriffs order, and their fellow fishermen. They pointed out that the laminated paper sign has been stolen more than once since the date it was posted on 03/11/09. They also all had repeated sittings of 2 boats specifically that were very intentional in their acts of disregard, and said it will be easy for me to see them because of they brand of boat and where they fish.

I did not get the response you would expect. All 9-10 guys welcomed my checks, and encouraged it in the future.

Slow No Wake Orders POSTED

Jefferson County Posted SNW

Weekend snow not expected to make flooding worse

Janesville Gazette

...The river north of Rock County is beginning to level off, Borghoff said.

"We expect the same type of thing to happen in Newville the next couple days," he said.

Flood stage for Newville is 10 feet. The river will continue to rise to near 11.5 feet by Saturday night. After that, flooding will depend on future precipitation, Borghoff said.

"We are entering an active weather system every three or four days, so we think flooding will continue there for the next week or two and it will be prolonged," Borghoff said.

The Rock River at Indianford rose above its 15-foot flood stage Thursday and was at 15.07 feet this morning.

"The trend is for it to go above flood stage for the next day or two," Borghoff said.

...Snow this time of year is not unusual, Borghoff said.

"We average 2 or 3 inches of snow in April and the average last date of measurable snow is April 10. We have to get through the next month and a half before we're out of the woods," he said.

Free sand, sandbags available

Town of Milton and Town of Fulton

Sand is available at the same location as last year--the intersection of Highway 59 and Richardson Spring Road, in Newville. However, in order to obtain sandbags, residents must call their respective town hall.

Milton Town Hall: 868-2465

Fulton Town Hall: 868-4103

Snow may prolong flooding; storm watch issued

Jefferson County Daily Union

...The Newville gauge station recorded Lake Koshkonong's level at 11.16 feet this morning, having peaked Thursday, March 19, at 10.81 feet. The water is projected to continue rising to the "major" flood stage of 11.5 feet by Sunday afternoon.

The level of the Crawfish River at Milford this morning was at 7.36 feet, having dipped below flood stage of 7 feet on Saturday. The river appears to have previously crested on March 15 at 7.88 feet, officials said.

Patrols to Enforce Slow No Wake Orders near Blackhawk Island

Captain Scott of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department has confirmed that the landings on the Rock River have been posted Slow-No Wake.

Officer Ryan Peterson and Captain Tom Kunkel of the Rock River Safety Patrol will assist Jefferson County in patrolling those sections of the river north of Lake Koshkonong, by land and by patrol boat, in enforcement of those orders.

All boaters are reminded that the the river from the Jefferson Dam to the Indianford Dam in Rock County have all been posted as Slow-No Wake.

Please respect our shorelines and our property during this flood stage when boat wakes create unnecessary havoc with private property.

Jefferson County - Rock RIver Road Closures

ANOTHER CLOSURE — “Road Closed” signs blocked access to Rock River Road east of Fort Atkinson this morning as the rising Rock and Bark rivers swallowed up the roadway. Rivers across Jefferson County are forecast to continue their rise throughout the weekend.

In Jefferson, the Rock River was measured at 10.7 feet and is expected to rise to 11.5 feet by Saturday afternoon. Moderate flood stage is 11 feet. Pictured above is Rock River Road with its “Road Closed” signs and water over the pavement. — Daily Union photo by James Debilzen.

'High anxiety' as lake, rivers continue to rise

Jefferson County Daily Union

...The lake district chairman said the organization has been following the river levels closely, posting stories from area news organizations and other flood-related resources on its website.

About 1,000 residents around the lake and the Rock River also have signed up for the lake district's e-newsletter.

"We have about 40- to 50 percent of our residents that are seasonal, so it's a great way for them, while they're not here, to maintain an awareness of what's happening with the lake and the river levels," he said. "When we are approaching and we're at flood stage, we send out those e-newsletter with a pretty high degree of frequency."

Snow Expected Saturday on Top of Flooding

BEING PREPARED — River levels in Jefferson County still were on the rise this morning, with forecasters predicting they will level off during the weekend. A total of 3 to 5 inches of snow also is expected to blanket the area Saturday night.

Pictured above, a horse lawn ornament in the North Shore Road area of Lake Koshkonong is prepared for the flooding with a foam floatation device, snorkel and diving goggles. — Daily Union photo by James Debilzen.

781.15 and rising

Inflow = 7,960
Outflow = 8,630

Mallwood - Lake Koshkonong

A home on Lake Koshkonong in the Mallwood area shows the water line from last year's record flood while the water continues to rise this week. Flood waters now cover North Lakeview Drive in Milton Township.

2008 Flood Marker

An orange spray painted line on a tree in Spencer DeRemer's backyard on Ellendale Road marks how high the Rock River reached during 2008's record flooding.

Water, concerns keep rising

The posts at the end of the article are as entertaining as the article itself...

Janesville Gazette

NEWVILLE — The tree a few feet from the Rock River in Spencer DeRemer's backyard marks the 2008 record flood.

..."See where that orange mark is?" he told them. "When it gets three-quarters of the way up there, we'll get sand."

...Vern Berg, DeRemer's next-door neighbor on Ellendale Road, has a pump running about every minute removing water from his basement.

Both neighbors made it through last year without flood damage, but it was the first year out of Berg's 32 years on the river that he had to sandbag.

...Nearby, where Lake Koshkonong empties into the Rock River, homes and streets already are flooded in the Mallwood subdivision. North Lakeview Drive has become part of the lake, and several homes are surrounded by water.

...Back in Newville, John Kinnett, owner of Anchor Inn bar, restaurant and boat rental, was feeling "nervous but optimistic" Wednesday. Last year, he was forced to close June 15 to July 15—the worse possible time of the year.

Record rain adds to flooding woes

How 'bout a record for consecutive dry sunny days!?

Madison Cap Times

The rainiest March 24 on record pushed swollen streams over the top in southern Wisconsin Tuesday, with residents along some stretches of the Rock, Sugar, Yahara and Fox Rivers scrambling to sandbag their properties.

Madison's official weather station at the airport recorded 2.28 inches of rain on Tuesday, smashing the previous record for March 24 of 0.91 inches, set in 1904.

WADING FOR WALLEYE

— This week’s rain is enough to prompt the National Weather Service in Sullivan to maintain flood warnings along the Rock River from Fort Atkinson into Rock County. Based on current conditions, Jefferson County remains vulnerable to floods along the Rock and Craw fish rivers through at least mid-June, officials said. This morning, water levels were reported at 9.6 feet along the Rock River in Jefferson, having peaked Tuesday, March 17, at 10.56 feet. That was below the moderate flood stage level of 11 feet. High water hasn’t kept the anglers away from the rivers, however. Pictured above, fishermen wade out along the swamped riverbank below the Jefferson dam in search of walleye. — Jim Furley photo.

Lake Koshkonong's icecap disappears

NOTE: The official ice out date is March 22.
___________________________________________________________

Fromt the Jefferson County Daily Union

KOSHKONONG - Lake Koshkonong's icecap disappeared early Monday morning, marking the fourth time since records were first kept in 1920 that the ice went out on March 23.

"The icecap disappeared overnight," a veteran lake watcher reported Monday afternoon. "I guess what's left is piled in between Carcajou and Logan points. A part of the icecap is still floating. It's black and honeycombed and doesn't look very thick. The waves are beating on it pretty good."

The other three years in which the lake ice broke up on March 23 were 1953, 1964 and 1985.

Until 2001, the Daily Union's records dated back to only 1947. However, in 2002, they were combined with those of three longtime Koshkonong-area families who have been keeping track of the meltdown since 1920.

Those records show that in the past 89 years, the earliest the icecap has gone out has been Feb. 25, 1998, and the latest, on April 15, 1972. Last year, it disappeared on April 7.

Not surprisingly, mid-April has seen the most meltdowns since 1920. April 4 is a favorite date, as the icecap has gone out on that day six times: in 1925, 1944, 1950, 1970, 1980 and 1989.

Tied for second with five years each are April 6 in 1920, 1924, 1929, 1935 and 1962 and March 27 in 1936, 1941, 1949, 1961 and 1994.

Two other dates tie March 23 to claim third place in the ice-out "race": April 1 in 1934, 1943, 1958 and 1984, and April 8 in 1928, 1946, 1959 and 1971.

With lakes and rivers hovering at or just above flood stage, the icecap's disappearance is a good thing. In the past, it has held back water flowing from the north, boosting floodwaters in the North Shore and Blackhawk Island areas west of Fort Atkinson.

Flooding where Rock River meets Lake Koshkonong

FORT ATKINSON (WKOW) -- Jefferson County had its worst flooding south of Fort Atkinson, where the Rock River flows into Lake Koshkonong.

Emergency officials shut down seven roads Tuesday morning along the river. Those included Black Hawk Island, Lamp, Vets, Bark River, Rock River, Ralph and Buena Vista. Black Hawk Island and Lamp were the hardest hit.

By noon, Black Hawk Island Road was practically unpassable west of Highway 26.

The VFW post on Veterans Lane was completely surrounded by water and had to close because of it.

Despite the falling rains, there were a number of fishermen in the area on the Rock River holding a tournament.

Scott Killmon, Watertown, remarked "fishing sucked today that's all I have to (say). Ha! Ha!"

Killmon and other fishermen said the water levels were high, but still nowhere near their levels in June, when downtown Fort Atkinson flooded, along with much of southern Wisconsin.

"It's up a little bit. Not as bad as last year but it's getting up there and with this rain, it's not going to help. It's going to be pretty bad again," predicted Killmon.

His fishing buddy, Trig Maier, added "We didn't have the rain last year early. It was later in the year when we got the rain. We got all the thaw and everything coming and if we get more rain, I'm sure we're going to have more water this year."

Gary Moats, a homeowner who lives right next to the Rock River, watched the rising water levels encroach upon his backyard, but was unphased.

"It doesn't bother me but my wife, she's freaked out about it," he laughed.

Moats said his home wasn't damaged too bad in june from the floods. His home sits on an elevated plot, and the water never got past his crawlspace.

He said it was "A big inconvenience."

Moats said most of his neighbors share his upbeat attitude. Fishermen said they did not see anyone sandbagging along the river.

More Flood Coverage

By NBC15 News Reporter Dana Brueck.

In Rock County the water has yet to go down in some places. In others, it's still expected to rise.

Our first stop, south of Janesville. We're on Christianson Road in the Town of Rock, where people have seen conditions like this in the past. Officials say the water is high but it's not out of the ordinary yet given the time of year.

Rewind almost a year ago ... Dave Wastak was busy repairing his home at the same spot in Afton after ice jams flooded it in Winter. NBC15 talked with him when the Rock River was about 2-feet above flood stage. "We think we've reached the worst of what can happen." A summer of record-setting flooding in South Central Wisconsin was yet to come...which is why people say today they're a bit more nervous.

"Even though we're concerned, as you can see it hasn't reached our panic point yet."

Still, Donna Knipp says she's anxiously watching the river from the porch of her Newville home.

"Just hope the torrential rains don't come in April... so... a nice hot desert wind would be nice."

Nearby on Lake Koshkonong, John Wedel's already facing water at his front porch. In the floodplain, Wedel has flood insurance, but his rental home's already suffered 50-thousand dollars in damage last year.

"This had over a foot of water in it last year, and the inside had to be completely gutted, and then we just got it back to where it's all fixed and now this, it's kind of scary, he says, "If the projections are right, we'll be ok but any more major storms, before it gets a chance to go down and we could be back right where we were last year."

Another area of concern -- the homes on Grass Lake and here on Clear Lake. People who live in the area say the water never went down after last year's rain and with no drainage for these lakes, there's little that homeowners can do.

Rock County Emergency Management is monitoring the situation but says some flooding this time of year is typical. The Rock River is forecast to reach moderate flood stage at Newville and Afton within the next two to three days.

Area Residents, Officials Watch For Flooding

Madison TV 3

...Dillon said he monitors weather reports closely, not only for Rock County, but also for Jefferson County, because heavy rain there will eventually make its way to Newville.

"If you get rain here it's one thing," said Dillon. "The rain to the north is what really affects Newville -- rain in Jefferson, Fort Atkinson and even Waupun."

Rock River flooding

Janesville Gazette

Some funny posts following this enlightening news of the Lake and River flooding.

No Flooding?

OK, this was funny stuff. Scroll down to read the Gazette's article and then scroll back up to read the posts.....
_________________________________________

OK folks, settle down. We print dozens of stories and headlines in print and online every day. Not every one of them is as good as we'd like them to be, but we have more work to do and deadlines to meet.

The issue here is how much rain. A little bit of rain, and not a lot of flooding. A lot of rain, and the situation changes. That's what Idzerda wrote yesterday, and she based the story on an interview with a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Sullivan. The headline could have better described the situation and prospects, but that's water over the dam - so to speak.

The situation is very fluid - OK, no more puns - so things are tough to nail down. but we'll keep trying.

Scott W. Angus
Editor , The Janesville Gazette

780.61

Lake crested on Friday at 780.80

Today -
Inflow from Jefferson Dam as measured at Fort Atkinson = 6,700 and falling

Outflow at Indianford Dam = 7,450

More water = better fishing

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Chris Terry, an Irishman from Milwaukee, shows off a buffalo caught on the Rock River near Jefferson during a fishing outing on St. Patrick’s Day.

...We made plans to fish the Rock River on St. Patrick's Day. The river features a walleye run in late winter and early spring as thousands of fish migrate out of Lake Koshkonong to upriver spawning marshes. Our timing might be right.

...Walleye, arguably the species most sought by anglers, reproduce naturally in Lake Koshkonong and upriver in the Rock. Some years the DNR supplements the walleye population with stocking; 3 million fry were stocked in 2006 and 360,000 fingerlings were added last year.

...The spring floods, painful as they are to humans, are natural and sustaining to the fish populations. The high water helps many species access critical spawning habitat.

"When we have massive flood conditions, I can almost predict it will be a good spawning year for northern pike and walleye," said Bush.

The high water helps the minnow species, too, said Bush, which are forage for the game fish.

Fish stocking to begin in Lake Leota

Janesville Gazette

...Ideally, the lake would be closed to fishing for three years while it is being stocked so the fish can grow and reproduce, Allen said. It would take a couple years to get the state Department of Natural Resources to officially close it, so SOLE plans to put up signs asking people to consider the growing fish.
______________________________________

A couple of years?

Rain not expected to raise Rock River

Janesville Gazette

Forecasters: Moderate flooding probable

Jefferson County Daily Union

...Simulations indicate a 99-percent probability of the Rock River in Jefferson rising past 11 feet.

...Proceeding further down the river and onto Lake Koshkonong at the Newville gauge, the meteorologist, said the likelihood of reaching 11.5 feet or major flood stage is at around 90 percent.

...At that level, water levels along Blackhawk Island Road can reach knee-deep or worse. Other area roadways such as Northshore and Lamp roads also likely would become partially submerged.

...The worst of the flooding in 2008 was in early June, when the state was inundated with several inches of rain on the weekend of June 7-8.

...An earlier warm-up melted the snow, causing the rivers to rise quicker than last year.

...In Jefferson, the Rock River crested June 18, 2008, at 15.64 feet, marking the highest level recorded by the National Weather Service office in Sullivan since 1979.

...At their peak on Sunday, June 22, 2008, water levels at Newville on Lake Koshkonong were recorded at 15.12 feet, just under three feet higher than the previous record of 12.23 feet on April 25, 1993.

WIll 2008 Repeat Itself?

RIVERS RUN THROUGH IT — National Weather Service office meteorologists in Sullivan said Tuesday that Jefferson County is vulnerable to flooding through June.

From Jefferson to Newville along the Rock River there is nearly a 100-percent chance of reaching moderate flood levels. Area residents who live along the Rock or Crawfish rivers should be concerned about any thunderstorms between now and June.

Last year, water levels reached record-setting levels after the state was inundated with heavy rainfall in early June. Flooding started early this year due to the deep frost levels and early snow melt.

National Weather Service meteorologists said conditions are ripe for significant flooding in southern Wisconsin again this spring. The Rock and Crawfish rivers are among the areas of the concern.

Shown above is an aerial view of the convergence of the two waterways in downtown Jefferson. The Crawfish River is in the upper left portion of the image, merging with the Rock River after passing beneath the Wisconsin Drive bridge. The Rock River cuts across the middle of the photo, over the Jefferson dam and past the Tyson Foods Inc. plant at the bottom of the image. In the center is a small island under water. — Photo by Tom Boos.

780.79

Lake has not crested yet...

Rivers in county receding

From the Jefferson County Daily Union

...The Crawfish River at Milford and Rock River from Jefferson into Rock County are all at flood stage.

...As the water recedes, the levels are slated to go below flood stage Friday.

The Newville gauge station recorded Lake Koshkonong at 10.73 feet this morning. The water is projected to start declining after today, remaining just below the moderate flood-stage range and receding down to below the 10-foot mark of flood stage by next week.

Blackhawk Island Road Closed

WATER-LOGGED — It seems it just wouldn’t be spring in Jefferson County if there weren’t some flooding of the county’s rivers. This morning, meteorologists and county emergency management officials reported the good news that waterways have crested or are near their peak.

Blackhawk Island Road in the Town of Sumner remains one of the hardest-hit areas, with officials closing the road to traffic Monday. The Town of Sumner also declared a state of emergency and officials are asking “sightseers” not to drive down to the area.

Pictured above, one truck braves high water and debris over the flooded portion of Blackhawk Island Road Monday afternoon. The driver behind him decided not to risk it, eventually backing up and turning around. For the related story, click here. — Daily Union photo by James Debilzen

Water Cresting North of Lake Koshkonong...

UNDER WATER — Meteorologists and county emergency management officials said this morning water levels have crested or are near their peak on the county’s rivers after melting snow and heavy rains pushed them past flood stage. Blackhawk Island Road in the Town of Sumner remains one of the hardest hit areas, with officials announcing Monday that the road is closed.

The Town of Sumner also declared a state of emergency and are asking “sightseers” not to drive down to the area.

Pictured above left, a sign warns of the water over Veterans Lane west of Fort Atkinson in the Town of Koshkonong. The Edwin Frohmader Post 1879 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars on Veterans Lane remains closed until further notice. — Daily Union photos by James Debilzen.

Rain falling on frozen ground could cause flooding in Wisconsin

From the WI STATE JOURNAL

...“So far, the weather’s cooperated and we haven’t had any major rainfall back-to-back-to-back, which would cause us a lot of problems,” Brueske said. “We’ve got some rivers in moderate flood, but it looks like for the next week we’ll have nothing but some good drainage times.”

...Currently, officials are closely watching the Rock and Crawfish rivers in Jefferson and Rock counties...

...Jefferson County has purchased about 35 structures in the past 13 years but has another 35 it wants to buy and remove for about $7 million. It also has another 41 properties that could qualify for more than $6 million in repairs, said Donna Haugom, the county’s emergency management director.

...In Rock County, where no-wake orders have been issued for much of the Rock River, there have been a few road closings but nothing significant, said Commander Troy Knudson of the Rock County Sheriff’s Office.

Stimulus offers floodplain assist

Jefferson County Daily Union

...Homeowners and property owners should be aware that - in the wake of 2008's record-breaking floods - land that was never mapped as floodplain might now be in the flood hazard areas. The mapping designations could affect selling or buying a home or refinancing a mortgage, as well as placing a property under federal, state and local floodplain regulations and restrictions.

...Any questions about the new maps can be directed to the Jefferson County Zoning Department at (920) 674-7113 or (920) 674-8638.

779.67

USGS

Lake Level has risen 21 inches since March 1st.

Slow No Wake in Fulton-T

Memo

To: Sheriff Bob Spoden, Rock County Sheriff’s Dept.
CC: Ed Marshall, Town of Janesville, Tom Presny, Parks Director, City of Janesville, Rock County Parks Director

From: Evan Sayre, Town of Fulton Chairman

Date: March 11, 2009

Re: Slow No Wake


Due to the recent rains, we are experiencing high water on the Rock River in our Township. Therefore, I am requesting that the slow, no wake ordinance be placed in effect until further notice and all landings posted.

If you have any questions, feel free to call the Town Office at 608-868-4103.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Local waterways filling up

The U.S. Geological Survey gauge at Afton, just south of Janesville, registered 8.36 feet and rising shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday. Flood stage at Afton is 9 feet.

Southern Wisconsin is under a flash flood watch.

Turtle Creek at Carvers Rock Road near Clinton reached 6.44 feet Sunday afternoon, nearly half a foot over bankfull, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Lake Koshkonong at Newville was at 8.44 feet. Flood stage is 10 feet at that location.

The Sugar River at Brodhead was at 3.73 feet. Flood stage at Brodhead is 5.5 feet. The National Weather Service predicts the Sugar River will flood at Brodhead by Tuesday.

Flooding potential prompts need for preparation

From the Janesville Gazette

For more information on flood insurance, or to find a participating agent in your area, visit www.floodsmart.gov or call 1-800-427-2419.

Johnnie Smith is administrator of Wisconsin Emergency Management; phone (608) 242-3232.

Update on Lake Leota

Lake Leota, Evansville

WI State Journal 8-17-08

_________________________________________

Janesville Gazette, 3-1-09

Opportunity knocks

Lake Leota can become a living classroom for next generation

When Evansville voters approved reclamation of 23-acre Lake Leota, they probably didn’t realize this project represents a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity.
The Wisconsin DNR has a history of pushing to return things to the way they were when only Native Americans walked the land. Allen Creek, which snakes through Dane and Rock counties, was, and still is, a sweet little trout stream.
Some in the DNR bureaucracy saw Leota as a blemish on what could return to a pristine trout fishery.
Others felt that this onetime millpond, which helped put Evansville on the map and build the great state of Wisconsin back in the 1840s, should be great-grandfathered in and restored. Restoration would certainly result in the greater good.
Voters spoke clearly.
Our forefathers may have unintentionally screwed things up when they tried to tame the wilderness. We now have the opportunity to atone for mistakes—and so much more—by educating this generation in a living classroom of our planet called Lake Leota.
Evansville is becoming a de facto suburb of Madison while trying desperately to hang on to its rural, smalltown appeal. What used to be a pleasant country drive on Highway 14 is now a whiteknuckle ride past booming Brooklyn and urban Oregon to the aptly named Mad City.
Nature is not gentle on your mind when trying to merge at 60 mph. This is no time to contemplate your navel or philosophize about Walden Pond.
But we certainly need a Walden Pond in this crazy world.
Understanding nature provides a great key for opening the mystery-wrapped enigma that is life. Every single thing we do has consequences that impact both our future and the other living things around us, now and in the future.

In a couple of months Lake Leota will be stocked with thousands of little fathead, shiner and sucker minnows. Next fall, 20,000 crappies, bluegills and perch will be introduced, followed by 10,000 more panfish in the spring of 2010. Bass, walleyes and catfish will go in after that.
The fish stocking is a straightforward lesson about the food chain not much different than the one you slept through in sophomore biology class. You weren’t mature enough to get the point of it all back then. Here it comes again in a living example called Lake Leota.

There is more to this thing than a basic food chain. Herein can be found the meaning of life itself.
Fish can’t thrive and prosper for long in a dredged out millpond. Prey species need a place to hide from predator species. Native plants provide both escape cover and food for the prey species by attracting insects and other invertebrates, which feed on little critters called zooplankton, which feed on even smaller critters called phytoplankton.
Amphibians may arrive on the feet of blue herons, which come to look for a minnow meal amongst the weeds. Muskrats will surely find their way here from the wetlands along Allen Creek.
Waterfowl will certainly stop here next month as they migrate north, just as they have done since Lake Leota was a silted in millpond. We can make the visit better for them by introducing a beneficial matrix of plant life.
Think the Mad City is mad? Wait until we have the opportunity to sit quietly on the reclaimed shoreline of Lake Leota and witness the frenetic hum of nature! We, the people, are just a small part of a truly grand scheme.
We, the people, have been blessed with both the means and the ability to influence the well-being and future of all other creatures on Spaceship Earth. Lake Leota can become a living classroom for every child within an hour’s drive away.
These kids will soon inherit the legacy we leave them, for better or for worse.
You can make a difference here. The folks behind rebirth of Lake Leota, a group called S.O.L.E. (Save Our Lake Environment) is desperately seeking donations for fish and foliage to re-seed the birth of this living classroom.
It will be five or six years before some youngster will catch his or her first fish here. Many of us will be on our way to catching our last fish by that time. My check is in the mail. There is room for you on this ride, too.

Lake level Jumping back up

778.08 & climbing

The gauge at Fort is not responding...again.

Expect a thaw this week with temps forecast to reach 60 degrees.