Le Détroit

Mongold Boat Ramp

Even out here in the west, nearly everyone has heard of Detroit, Michigan - probably because at one point in your life you drove a car that was made there. Detroit is named after the French translation of "the strait" of Lake Erie, which happens to be the Detroit River. With that in mind, it does not seem quite as strange to have a tiny town in the Cascade foothills of Oregon also named Detroit. It is, after all, situated along the Santiam River. And it was indeed named by settlers from Michigan in the 1890's.

Not to sound like a city slicker snob, but Detroit, Oregon is one of those towns (population 210) you don't really have a reason to go to, unless: a) You are going to camp and boat at the nearby Detroit Lake Recreation Area; or b) you are passing though on your way to Central Oregon and you need coffee. The man made lake and park are indeed very popular with motor boaters and are typically busy all summer. The lake is 9 miles long and one mile wide; it has hundreds of campsites as well as a marina and fishing areas. That said, if you are a "seek the solitude" kayak paddler looking for a quiet retreat to enjoy nature this is NOT the spot for you!

Kyle at Spring high water mark

So why am I yammering on about Detroit Lake in this post? Well not to sound like a broken record, but as I stated in the last post, our dry conditions this year are taking a toll on water resources all over the state and Detroit Lake is another prime example. We recently stopped at the lake on our way back from the Bend area. The state park is a nice rest stop this time of year where we can have lunch and admire the scenery. However, this year, the lake's water level is so low, several hundred feet of lakebottom is now exposed all the way around the lake. It's a curious sight to see: the boat docks are on the ground, the boat ramps lead to dirt instead of water, and hundreds of tree stumps are visible, resembling a ghost town of sorts.

Stumped!

But the really interesting part for me was the action on the ground, so to speak. As I walked out to see the stumps I began to notice things growing out of the newly exposed dirt. It shouldn't have surprised me, since that is what seeds are supposed to do! But it was a remarkable sight nevertheless. I covered several acres in my walkabout and captured the fine plants shown below.  The two most prevalent plants I saw were Fireweed and Pearly Everlasting. There were also numerous unidentified shrubs and broadleaf trees, about a foot tall or so. Presumably these will all be underwater in a few months, but we'll need to return next year to check it out!

And finally, you get bonus points if you find the hidden critter in one of the photos!

     

     

     

     

     

Pearly Everlasting showing its stuff

Detroit Lake Wiki

Detroit Lake State Recreation Area