
Lake Piney Z
Background
"Lake" Piney Z was not always a lake. Rather, it was
a valley through which a creek ran, and where people farmed and
grazed their cattle. However, around 1950, the owners wanted to
"Save the lake" by diking it up. This messed up the
natural flow of the area. As a result, a thick layer of muck collected
on the bottom of the lake where the sand bar was supposed to be.
Without the sand, the fish had nowhere to lay their eggs; likewise,
the fish population dropped. Another result of the muck collection,
was the appearance of hydrilla. All the other aquatic life couldn't
survive, so they died out causing more muck to pile up. This process
continued until muck levels were at the extreme. In 1998, a group
of experts drained the lake and bulldozed the muck into protruding
fingers where people could fish. The future of Piney Z is unknown,
but the with help from you, it will be a bright one.