A Bit of Old News #2: Bridge Across Lake Puckaway?

Does anyone know anything about a bridge built across the lake in the ninetieth century?   My father-in-law said the old pilings were a good place to fish, but no one else is talking.

From The Appleton Crescent 1854:
"Bridge Across Lake Puckaway -- We learn from the Marquette Mercury that a good and substantial bridge is about to be constructed across Lake Puckaway.  The cost is estimated at from three to four thousand dollars. -- Madison Jour."

A War Department Document from 1866 mentions "the bridge at Marquette" in passing, so it was built, or partially built.

May 14, 2013 Water Monitoring Report

Water clarity seems a little lower than normal and that is not to be unexpected with three days of high winds over the weekend.

Water clarity as measured with a Secchi disk

April 20, 2013 Water Monitoring Report

Water quality monitoring is getting underway early this year, and during high water.  The Fox River at the Berlin has been above flood stage since April 12, but it looks like it may be slowly dropping today.  The day started out windy and rough, but the lake gradually improved.  Many kinds of ducks were bobbing up in down in the waves: buffelhead, common and hooded mergansers, mallards, and American  coots to name a few.  I also counted eight common loons, and four Forster's terns over the lake.

Flooded marsh at the mouth of Lake Puckaway (4/20/2013)

Ice Out?

It seems like the ice will never go out, considering last year was the second earliest ice out on record.  Everyday I look at the latest satellite photos to watch the painfully slow progress.  The photos are fuzzy and it's difficult to see much more than the difference between ice and open water.  However, I have this clear, old aerial photograph of ice going out to help visualize what the lake looks like today.  Technically it is just early ice breaking up, and struggling to form in November 1951, but it makes me happy anyway.

Ice on the East Basin of Lake Puckaway and Fox River, November 1951

A Bit of Old News - Duckhunting #1

I've been running through old newspapers and thought I'd occasionally re-print some articles about Puckaway, or Apuckawa, or Puckawa as it is sometimes called.

"W. W. Haseltine, E. J. Pfiffner, and A.E. Morse went down to Puckawa lake the first of the week on a days hunt and succeeded in bagging 42 ducks.  At least that is what they all say, and duck hunters never prevaricate"

Steven's Point Daily Journal November 7, 1885

Panoramics

A few photos from 2012. Click to enlarge

West Shore Lotus Bed

Northwest Shore

Emergent Planting

Eurasian Water-milfoil

Emergent Planting Report

The emergent planting is a success going into winter.  We will now have to wait and see how they handle ice, snow, muskrats and the high water of spring.   We will lose some plants, but overall they are looking good as the lake freezes.  A report is available with many photos of the plantings.  Click REPORT to see it.

Site 2a the most successful planting so far.