Standing over the big drain - video!

Today I went down and walked along the bottom of the lake to see if the drain at the big pool would be visible. As I got closer I could hear it. You can hear the gurgling in the video. I carefully climbed down the rock slide, avoiding the mud and trying not to inhale the stale stench of death through my nose. As I got to within a few feet of it I saw a way to step across a couple rocks embedded in the mud and be able to stand directly over the drain and peer in. The water sounds and appears as if it is dropping straight in several feet. Reminded me of hearing water running in a cave passage.

Standing there on the shaky rocks felt precarious, so I shot ten seconds of video and climbed on out.
--dB

It's beautiful even when it's almost gone...

These pictures of the lakebed were taken on 9/4/2008. Becca and I went down to the lakebed early Thursday morning around 7:30 am. Wildflowers and unique plants are merging out of the dried lakebed, along with some old boats and other interesting treasures.

This picture is of the largest pool. This is where the deepest point is located.

Spider spinning a web

View of the meadow

View of the east side side of the lakebed from Rest Rock

Check out the big spring feeding into the largest pool

Three small pools, lots of dead fish and that odor.

There are now three ponds in the bottom of the lake bed. The largest water pouring in from the hotel end via a shallow stream and has some surviving fish, the medium pool has a few hangers on in their last hours, and the smallest empty and chock full of dead fish. Identified in this last pool were sunfish of good size and a large mouth bass up to 8 lb range. No trout were spotted - they probably died off a while ago.

This smallest pool also had a small stream of water coming in from a higher crack and then pouring out into a hole in the bottom against the western side. This is easy to observe.

The biggest two pools are full of muddy water. The stench down there is pretty bad, the flies are busy and it is not a good place to be with the sun and the heat. Perhaps the line of hurricanes on the way will help wash things down a bit and make access to the bottom easier.

Losing the Eastern Hemlock

My good friend Will Blozan is an arborist and President of the Eastern Native Tree Society. He has been on a mission to save the largest of the surviving Eastern Hemlocks. His 'Tsuga Search Project' has been recording their size so that we may know what this extremely endangered species was capable of before they are lost.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/420/index.html?media_id=2131243

This video was shot in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Cataloochee Valley). Will Blozan is the subject of a documentary being filmed there.

You can find out more about the plight of the hemlocks and how they can be saved by visiting www.thevanishinghemlock.com
--dB

8/28...Has the rain brought the lake up?

The rains from the past couple days have sustained the lake levels for a little while longer. It was interesting walking along the lakebed and seeing all the new plantlife that is emerging. It's a truly amazing process...



Check out the way the lake has formed a mirror-like image!
A foggy view of the lake bed
Becca and Chris walking through the cracked mud flats
Chris and Becca observing the lake from the porch of the Newport House

Next day, even less water...

What a difference one day makes - Marsha took this picture this morning.

Found: Lifeboats from the Titanic!

The lake continues to drop - latest estimate is 70+ feet below. There are some fish splashing around in there - rather sizable largemouth bass. Two ancient rowboats have been left high and well... muddy. They look like boats in some of our old pictures from circa 1930. No sign of the ladies with the floppy hats though - see our Recreation page (http://www.mtnlakeconservancy.org/recreation-paddling.html).

Enjoy our images from today's visit...
--dB