Loren Zemlicka
Stumped
Today's image is titled Stumped and was photographed by Loren Zemlicka.
This photo shows a ghostly wasteland of treestumps, roots, and other bits of flotsam and jetsam bleaching in the sun after the draining of Lake Delton nearly two weeks ago. This photo shot on Saturday, June 14 shows the dry lakebed as seen from its northwest side, nearly opposite from where the artificial lake breached into the Wisconsin River following the torrential rains early in the month.
"When Lake Delton was created in 1928, the area trees were cut but the stumps were not removed," notes Zemlicka. "They have remained at the bottom of the lake for 80 years. As a result of the breach at Highway A, the stumps emerged and now litter the lake's muddy landscape."
That's not all that's been found at the bottom of Lake Delton. In addition to the pre-lake leftovers in the form of these stumps and an expected assortment of garbage, an army of gleaners and cleaners has also recovered four guns from the muck. These have been sent by police to the state crime lab for analysis. Dry shore landowners and authorities in the Wisconsin Dells area are now trying to keep people off the lakebed now, as reconstruction of the popular recreation spot got underway last Friday. A temporary dam dedicated to preventing ongoing erosion and diverting water away from the breach is now being built, with state and local officials hoping that subsequent construction will allow for the refilling of the lake by next year.
This is the latest entry of Madison Snaps: photos of Madison-area events and locations. The send a message. There is no compensation for Madison Snaps photos, which are © to the respective photographers.
