Wazee Lake
Encyclopedia
Wazee Lake is a lake
east of Black River Falls, Wisconsin
, in the town of Brockway
, Jackson County
, Wisconsin
, United States
. The name "Wazee" means "tall pine" in the Ho-Chunk
language. The artificial lake is the deepest lake within the state of Wisconsin
, with a maximum depth of approximately 355 feet (108.2 m). The man-made lake was formed after being used as a quarry
for taconite
mining between the mid-1960s through April 1983. The quarry produced about 850,000 tons of taconite pellets each year. The mine closed in 1983 as a result of a crash of the domestic steel markets in the United States. When the mine was in operation, pumps removed about 800 US gal (3,028.3 l; 666.1 imp gal) of water per minute from the quarry. Once these pumps were shut down, the quarry began filling with water.
The lake is now part of a county park known as Wazee Lake Recreation Area. The lake is a prime scuba diving
destination because of its deep, clear water. Visibility averages between 30 feet (9.1 m) and 40 feet (12.2 m) during the summer months. There are also visible remains of mining operations underwater, such as roadways used for hauling equipment. Some features have been added to the lake, such as underwater platforms for training divers and fish cribs to improve habitat for the fish. Fish species within the lake include rainbow
, brook
, and brown trout
, bluegill
s, suckers
, catfish
, walleye
, warmouth
, and smallmouth bass
.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
east of Black River Falls, Wisconsin
Black River Falls, Wisconsin
Black River Falls is a city in Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,622 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County. The Ho-Chunk Nation has its administrative center in Black River Falls.-History:...
, in the town of Brockway
Brockway, Wisconsin
Brockway is a town in Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,580 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Sheppard and Vaudreuil are located in the town.-Geography:...
, Jackson County
Jackson County, Wisconsin
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2009, the population estimate was 19,886. Its county seat is Black River Falls. Jackson County was formed from Crawford County in 1853.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The name "Wazee" means "tall pine" in the Ho-Chunk
Ho-Chunk
The Ho-Chunk, also known as Winnebago, are a tribe of Native Americans, native to what is now Wisconsin and Illinois. There are two federally recognized Ho-Chunk tribes, the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska....
language. The artificial lake is the deepest lake within the state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, with a maximum depth of approximately 355 feet (108.2 m). The man-made lake was formed after being used as a quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
for taconite
Taconite
Taconite is a variety of iron formation, an iron-bearing sedimentary rock, in which the iron minerals are interlayered with quartz, chert, or carbonate...
mining between the mid-1960s through April 1983. The quarry produced about 850,000 tons of taconite pellets each year. The mine closed in 1983 as a result of a crash of the domestic steel markets in the United States. When the mine was in operation, pumps removed about 800 US gal (3,028.3 l; 666.1 imp gal) of water per minute from the quarry. Once these pumps were shut down, the quarry began filling with water.
The lake is now part of a county park known as Wazee Lake Recreation Area. The lake is a prime scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
destination because of its deep, clear water. Visibility averages between 30 feet (9.1 m) and 40 feet (12.2 m) during the summer months. There are also visible remains of mining operations underwater, such as roadways used for hauling equipment. Some features have been added to the lake, such as underwater platforms for training divers and fish cribs to improve habitat for the fish. Fish species within the lake include rainbow
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, brook
Brook trout
The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
, and brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
, bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
s, suckers
Catostomidae
Catostomidae is the sucker family of the order Cypriniformes. There are 80 species in this family of freshwater fishes. Catostomidae are found in North America, east central China, and eastern Siberia...
, catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, warmouth
Warmouth
The common name of Lepomis gulosus is the warmouth. It is one of the 324 fish species found in Tennessee.-Introduction:The following is a description of a monitoring plan for the Warmouth . One of the eleven species in the Lepomis genus, the species name gulosus refers to the warmouths big eyes...
, and smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
.
 |
 |
External links
- Wazee Lake Recreation Area - Jackson County