Watershed #25 - Cave Point

Cave Point – the shore of Lake Michigan

This past Memorial weekend, a small group hiked the area of Cave Point which is about 50 miles north of the Gardens at Waters East.  Along this shore, the Niagara Escarpment is well exposed with cliffs averaging 25 feet above the water.  (for lots more information on this very interesting geological formation – check out:  Watershed #6  July 21, 2012 in the archives) There is great scenery in every direction.  On this foggy day, the mood was very reflective.  There is something about foggy days that sends the mind wondering.

The gardens here are part of the same great watershed as that of Cave Point.  For those interested in a little more information on the watershed of the Gardens at Waters East – read on.

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.

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.

Enjoy a walk in the fog

 a violet along the trail

 a dandelion "drenched" in the mist

 many trucks and logs have great lichen

 field of Trillium

 a close-up of the flower

The above photo is an overview of the watershed

for the Gardens at Waters East 

NOTE:  All photos on this Blog are taken on the property of Gardens at Waters East – except those marked as “Watershed” as is the case today.  You may wish to search back through the archives to anyone of the other twenty-four Watershed postings.

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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