Lake Wawasee

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Lake Wawasee satellite photo

Lake Wawasee, formerly Turkey Lake is a large lake south of Syracuse in Kosciusko County, Indiana. It is the largest natural lake in Indiana.

1 History
2 Recreation
3 Hydrology
- 3.1 Classification
- 3.2 Water sources
4 Geographic places
5 Water Quality and Wetlands
6 Sources

[edit] History

Main article: Lake Wawasee History

Lake Wawasee has a long history extending from the Pleistocene epoch, early settlement by the white man, and its growth from the 1800s through today. The lake is named for Miami chief Wawasee (Wau-wuh-see), brother of Miami chief Papakeecha, which translated means "Flat Belly."

[edit] Recreation

[edit] Marinas

Griffith's Wawasee Marina was founded in 1946 and is located on Wawasee's southeast end overlooking Buttermilk Bay and tucked behind Morrison's Island to the marina's west.[1]
Main Channel Marina was established in 1976 and is located on the main channel on Wawasee's north shore [2]
Johnson's Bay Marina
Wawasee Boat Company was founded in 1929 and is located on Wawasee's north shore. [3]

[edit] Restaurants

The Frog Tavern is accessible by boat at the lake's northern end and open 7 days a week. The Frog's SS Lippypad travels at about 7 knots at 200 yards offshore. A 3-hour cruise is required to cover the entire lake.

[edit] Events

Independence Day fireworks - The 4th of July weekend sports a fireworks launched from water borne craft at Wawasee's Buttermilk Bay. There is also a 'Floatilla' which features decorated boats in a parade around the lake.
Worship by boat - On Sundays between Memorial Day and Labor Day a "boat-in" Christian worship service is performed just off Oakwood, where the minister conducts services from a boat anchored off the shore, offerings are collected in fish nets, and worshipers often come in their swimsuits.

[edit] Hydrology

[edit] Classification

Lake Wawasee meaures 12 km² (3060 acres) in size and is classified as a Trophic Class 1 lake with two major basins. The north basin has a eutrophication index value of 10 and the south basin has a eutrophication index of 12. The maximum depth is 22 m (77 feet) and an average depth of 6.7 m (22 feet). The lake is presently healthy and has a balanced aquatic ecosystem.

[edit] Water sources

Lake Wawasee is a spring fed lake with exposed springs flowing into Wawasee from south, west, and east sides. Lake Papakeechie, sitting a few feet higher in elevation, provides a vast amount of water from a spillway at Buttermilk Bay at Wawasee's south end. Wawasee is typical in structure of natural lakes of the glaciated portions of the upper Midwest. It is supplied by a watershed of 23,618 acres (95.5 km²) which starts at Little Knapp Lake and Harper Lake in Noble County and flows down through 10 lakes by way of Turkey Creek into Lake Wawasee. Water exits into through the wetlands of Main Channel and Mud Lake into Syracuse Lake. The Wawasee Watershed is an area of that encompasses Wawasee, Syracuse, Bonar Lake and Papakeechie lakes as well as the ten lakes in the upper Turkey Creek and Papakeechie subwatersheds.

There are two smaller lakes near Wawasee. Syracuse Lake to the north is accessible from Wawasee through the 'Main Channel.' Lake Papakeechie to the south is at an elevation slightly higher than Wawasee. It is not accessible by boat from Wawasee.

[edit] Geographic places

Known geographic place names around Wawasee: Black's Point, Black Stump Point, Jones Landing, Willow Grove, Pickwick Park, Kale Island, Oakwood, Lakeview-South Park, Ogden's Island, Sand Point, Johnson's Bay, Buttermilk Bay, Vawter Park, Ideal Beach, Waveland Beach, Conkling Hill, and Morrison's Island.

[edit] Water Quality and Wetlands

Water clarity and keeping the lake clean for future generations is a big push for the community around Wawasee. One of the most active organizations involved in wetland and water quality protection is Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation [4]. This non profit group has a documented history of action of lake preservation. The Foundation was formed in 1991 to anticipate, search out, and solve threats to the Wawasee Area Watershed and to its water quality. The Foundation is dedicated to the enhancement of the area and will work hand-in-hand with property owner groups, the State Department of Natural Resources and other governmental and civic organizations that share its concerns.

One of these battles has been on going with a local farmer who has a permit to open a hog farm in the area. So far the conservancy has been successful in dissuading the local farmer. [5] Lake Wawasee is unusually clear for an Midwest lake. One of the reasons for this clarity is because of its location. Just a few miles from a continental divide that separates water that runs off to the Mississippi and the Missouri basins. Another reason for clarity is because most of the lakes nutrients are tied up in vegetation and zebra mussels. According to a recent study water clarity allows for viewing 10 to 15 foot depths when other Midwest lakes have a clarity to 3 to 5 foot depths. [6]