In the summer of 2013, UW-Madison undergrad, Emily Hilts, explored Lake Mendota and the other Yahara lakes and wrote a running diary detailing what she found. Here are here posts about the history and ecology of the lake, as well as closer looks at the animals and plants that call it home.
Learning to Love a Lake
Taking the kayak out on Trout Lake for the afternoon was against my better judgment. I hurt my ribs a couple of days prior when I took a tumble in the woods (log: one, Emily: zero), and paddling probably wasn’t the best idea. Yet there was no way I could stay off the water any longer, and after a few strokes I smiled with contentment at the sight of the clear rippling waves.
Even with an injury… who could resist this?
How I love this place – and the whole Northwoods! The frogs singing, the lichens growing on spruce in the bogs, the blue herons silently stalking prey, the mussels burrowing in the sand… if you’ve been here and paid attention, you know how all of these elements unify a wonderfully diverse landscape. During my last two summers working at Trout Lake Station, there were few evenings and weekends I didn’t spend on a hiking trail or in a canoe. After taking it all in, I can honestly say that there is no place on earth I love more. Keep reading here.
Breaking the Surface Barrier
While walking along the lakeshore to my first day of work, I spotted a smallmouth bass hanging out in the rocky shallows of Lake Mendota. After watching for a minute, it finally struck me … the water was clear. I could see the bottom! So much for the scummy cesspool I’d imagined. Why was it so transparent? (The investigation is still underway… stay tuned next week for the full report!)
Whatever the cause, this was an opportunity to get underwater and take a look around.
The surfaces of lakes, as beautiful as they can be, act as a shield that prevent us landlubbers from seeing aquatic ecosystems. Can you imagine studying a forest from its border, taking all the data from instruments and pulling out animals in traps? It would be difficult to “know” the woods without ever hiking in them. That’s essentially what limnologists have to do with lakes. We often don’t actually go in the water, and, for the most part, neither do people who enjoy lakes recreationally. There’s a whole hidden landscape right underneath our docks and boats. If we could see what is going on down there, those images alone could help us understand these ecosystems – in a way that scientific facts just can’t. For great underwater pics and video, keep reading…