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

Fall Into the New - National River Cleanup Day

Saturday I took my wife Ann and our two kids out for a day supporting our county's effort to clean up the New River. We loaded up the canoe and splashed on the sunscreen before heading out.

Read all about it here...

http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/174313

Some of the things we found and hauled off...
- old nasty carpet
- over 100 old tires
- golf balls!?
- a marble
- a baby doll
- piece of toilet
- plenty of beer bottles and cans
- fishing pole (lower half)
- Virginia Lottery sign

I was really impressed with the group that Emma Betz brought out from Blacksburg High School. They worked really hard all day and hauled in a fantastic amount of debris. Giles County did a terrific job of putting this well run event together. Thanks to everyone who came out!
--dB

57' below full... and dropping

Today I ventured out to take some pictures and observe what I could about the lake. I was surprised to see many small bass at the western side of the lake and one nice 8 pounder in the shallow water. There was plenty of activity - whenever the swallows would swoop down after bugs near the surface the fish would hit the surface going after whatever they dropped.

In the meadow and amongst the blooming flowers all around the lake I could hear the buzz of bees doing their job. Enjoy the pix!
--dB