Apparently Lake Menomin was once red.

Show the pictures or it didn't happen?

No it isn't a divided America.  It is an issue of who is going to pay.

Those with the most surplus have the most ability to pay.   But woundn't that be socialism?   In a conservative city, in a conservative Dunn County, in a conservative controlled state, those at the top of the conservative chain hold all the cards that disable local effective solutions and withhold all regulation and funding.

Sliding into August

Here we into August 2018 already.    July of 2018 seemed to pass quickly to me.   It was only in the last weeks of July that the water of Lake Menomin really started to get a green tint to it.

In some ways it is fascinating to bear witness to this perennial display of algal and bacteria growth.

Meeting people at the waters edge is one of the more interesting things, too.   Even with very clear water up until just a short couple weeks ago, there weren't that many people coming down to the water.
The Lakeside boat landing has only seen a half-dozen or so boats in the parking lot since the fourth of July at any one time.    This is even with the Point Comfort landing blocked for the Randy Sommerfeld's shoreline dredging.

Where does everyone go?

A most interesting appearance of the "slow" green figure with flag appearing near the Roy Ostenso rental property was really welcome.   The double yellow and white lines of Wolske Bay road definitely add safety and confidence but sadly also allow motorists to more easily speed through what should be a park road.  Unlike Wakanda park, which does not have any yellow lines, most curiously.  Perhaps the more wealthy residents of Wakanda Shores would find this reprehensible in style for their neighborhood?   They do have the ability to get a nicer neighborhood placard and a turtle crossing sign, afterall.

July didn't see much rain for us in Menomonie, either.   Past last nights welcome rain, looking back July was rather dry.

The advantage of the longer, possibly normal, ice coverage of Lake Menomin this year and the clear water that gave some advantage to aquatic vegetation (weeds) seems to have been tossed aside swiftly with that somewhat dry July weather.

Now that the blooms are forming, the LAKES REU and TMLIA are spending their efforts and time at the Menomonie Farmers Market.    That's not very close to the lake, or river, in my opinion, and it shows a true lack of these organizations ability to even get to the water themselves.

That is the true nature of why Lake Menomin is a failing feature in Menomonie: accessibility.

At the Dunn County Level, a new dock was installed in Menomin park, but the city, TMLIA, and LAKES REU have failed in really showing any "improvements" that are usable by residents of Menomonie.   Unless TMLIA is going to step up and take ownership of the Point Comfort dredging, which they should.

Meanwhile, what can I do?    Resources are lacking but I do believe that we in Menomonie have the people power to do the work, I think we are also being somewhat bullshitted into what we can and can't do to "improve" Lake Menomin.   Sadly, most people will not get out of their cars or give up their speed, as they make the smallest of efforts to even turn the steering wheel as they pass by.

Lake Menomin Menomonie Wisconsin

December 23rd, 1953

July 25th, 1956

 July 2nd, 1958

 The brand new lake in 1958 doesn't seem like like it tackled the problems that it faced before the deepening to thwart algae and creating a large lake paradise.   

It didn't take long for algae issue to re-emerge just three years later.    

I have to wonder if it was a all just a failed 1950's dream of the future that people have hung onto?  Like the giant shopping malls?   

Or do you think it was all just part of bad forward thinking design?    I am leaning this direction now, with good design, a maintenance free lake could have been had.   But since the lake raising, the south lake bank has had to be repaired and I wonder what the state of the private lake shore properties will be in the future if they are all slowly being eroded at?

 From 1961.

From 1962.

Turtles, land for sale, end of Haas concrete?

One thing that stands out in this area to me is the turtle nesting area.   Mayor Knaack's dredging experiment really put a hurt on a fantastic natural area and the turtle population was not immune.   Prior to the dredging a casual observer could find a nice amount of good sized turtles but since the ecological destruction the turtles have been seen less.  However this year is seeing more turtles in the area but they are much smaller than what was seen before.

The amount of turtle road kill is unknown.  Wolske Bay road has been seeing an increase in motor vehicle traffic and not only does that excessive traffic deter neighborhood people (children, etc,) from using their neighborhood park, but it leads to more turtle fatalities in a turtle nesting location.

Wolske Bay road in itself is taking a beating with the increased vehicle load demand and is adding to the increasing devaluation of the largest area of public shoreline in Menomonie.




Up on Tainter Street, it looks like land for sale.   These are some of the most pure untouched lots left from the last 50 years that are sure to have interesting Menomonie stories in the brush.
http://www.kw.com/kw/agent/dianna-clark

Haas concrete  looks to be pulling out of the neighborhood, the last of the former industrial park residents.  

A waterworks cover on Tainter Street.

Lake Menomin Turtles

Welcome to Menomonie Wisconsin

Welcome to Menomonie Wisconsin.