Tag Archives: creeks

Outing at Avera’s Mill Pond (Lewis Lake)

Lewis Lake, site of today’s outing at 4PM, is Avera’s Mill Pond. According to Wenda Gaile Bailey, “there was a partial draining of the lake late last year”, but she checked the water level yesterday. Here’s some history, and some pictures from five years ago of what you may see today.

WG Bailey wrote for WG Bailey photos, unknown date, Old Fashioned Pond Draining at Lake Lewis,

Avera’s Mill Pond, the oldest and largest pond in Berrien County, was founded by William M. Avera, son of pioneer, Daniel Avera, covers 1470 acres, and was built in the 1870’s at a cost of $3800.87

The mill dam is located Continue reading →

How Many Trees Does It Take to Protect a Stream?

Stroud Water Center wrote in their Upstream Newsletter, VOL. 2014, ISSUE 1, February 2014,

Scientists Set Buffer Width Minimum Standard.

A strip of forest along a stream channel, also called a riparian forest buffer, has been proposed and used for decades as a best management practice to protect streams by filtering out contaminants from agriculture and other land uses before they can enter them.Their benefits are many, but one benefit has dominated social and political conversations, and that is their role in preventing contaminants from entering streams.

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Stroud Center Director Bern Sweeney practicing what he preaches at a tree planting event. Photo: David Arscott

A few years ago, Stroud Water Research Center proposed that riparian forest buffers also play another important role by Continue reading →