The WATERSHED - Facts & Photos

Water - Water - Everywhere

Watershed for Gardens at Waters East

The easy definition of a watershed is:  the area of land where all the water that is under it or drains off of it goes to a shared destination.  In the case of Gardens at Waters East. Lake Michigan is that destination.

Lake Michigan as viewed from

Gardens at Waters East

The ship rib in the foreground is from an 1800's schooner

All gardens exist within a watershed.  And, all gardeners know the vital importance of watershed areas.  If the watershed is healthy, all life there stays a little more healthy.  What is done on the surface in our gardens and surrounding areas can impact what ends up being in that final watershed destination.  Gardeners know the importance of good stewardship for the patch of land where they live.  They know too that what they do on their land will effect the health and well being of all who depend on the quality of the area’s watershed.

Gardens at Waters East is located in the state of Wisconsin where there exist more than 12,600 rivers and streams that travel a total of 44,000 miles.  More than 32,000 of those miles are perennial streams.  There are 2,700 trout streams covering 10,370 miles.  There are more than 15,000 lakes, 5.3 million acres of wetlands, 1.2 guadrillion gallons of groundwater.  All this forms two different watersheds which drain either into the Great Lakes (and for Gardens at Waters East specifically Lake Michigan), or the Mississippi River which itself eventually drains into the Gulf of Mexico.  Wisconsin is blessed with such an abundance of water as a natural resource.  The best of gardeners realize the responsibilities they have to care for the health and well being of the watershed where they live.

Mashek Creek

half mile North of Gardens at Waters East

Mashek Creek in Summer

Ahnapee River

10 miles North of Gardens at Waters East

Ahnapee River in Winter

The photos in this posting are of some of the very near rivers and creeks that are part of the immediate watershed environment of Gardens at Waters East.  The two large rivers ( The Kewaunee River and The Ahnapee River) and the two creeks (Three Mile Creek and Mashek Creek) are within walking distance of Gardens at Waters East.  These all flow directly into Lake Michigan which itself is one of the five Great Lakes which together contained 20% of all the fresh water on Earth.  Many past and future postings often showed and will continue to show Lake Michigan as a “backdrop” to garden pictures.  This is done to remind all visitors to the gardens not only of the beauty here, but also of the importance that Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes have for all life in this area.

Three Mile Creek

8 miles North of Gardens at Waters East

Three Mile Creek in Winter

Kewaunee River

2 miles South of Gardens at Waters East

Kewaunee River

As they say - - “Come on in the water is fine” 

 

Peony Field

Gardens at Waters East 

Reference Note:  For a complete list of the ten (10) Principles of Design plus the special “Golden Principle of Design” used throughout Gardens at Waters East, check out the archive postings for November 14 – 24, 2010 and May 2, 2011.

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