Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 55 



chiefly wild celery (Vallisneria spiralis) and floating pond weed 

 (Potamogeton americanus), which prevented washing and gave the 

 bed a permanent character. In August, 1913, the old wooden 

 wagon bridge was torn down and replaced by a concrete structure. 

 In the work incident to this change the vegetation was destroyed 

 and the bed torn up, since which it has silted up with clean sand 

 in which the vegetation has not yet re-established itself. 



The distance that the stream pursues through the marsh below 

 the railroad bridge and before losing itself in Lost Lake is about 

 1,500 feet. Through the upper part the course has been dredged 

 and the banks are well defined; but lower down, the banks are 

 scarcely evident, the stream -widens out through the dense growth 

 of Carex, cattail, bluejoint grass, etc., and finally loses itself com- 

 pletely in a large area of spatterdock at the head of Lost Lake. 



The water in the Outlet is always very clear. The current 

 does not vary much, the rate being about the same whether the 

 water be high or low. 



LOST LAKE 



Lost Lake, on a cursory examination, might be regarded merely 

 as an expansion of the Outlet, but such is not the case. It is a 

 real lake occupying a considerable hole probably of independent, 

 though synchronous, origin with that of the large lake. There is 

 considerable evidence to show, however, that the high sand ridge 

 separating the two lakes and terminating in Long Point with the 

 long shallow bar extending out into Lake Maxinkuckee from the 

 tip of Long Point, is largely of aeolian origin, built up in part at 

 least by the strong southwest winds. 



The open part of this lake, that is, the part not obscured by 

 rank vegetation, is about 2,500 feet long and 1,500 feet wide, the 

 major axis or length extending northeast and southwest. On the 

 southeast side is a high sandy hill or ridge heavily timbered over 

 its northern half and a cultivated field at the southern end, which 

 slopes gradually down to the lake. The shore on this side is in 

 most places a few feet above the water and is dry and firm. There 

 is high ground at the northwest corner of the lake and for most 

 of the distance along the southwest side, bordered by a narrow 

 strip of marsh but rising rather abruptly into a high sandy ridge. 

 At the upper and lower ends are the large areas of lily-pads, etc., 

 already mentioned. 



Lost Lake is very shallow. Many soundings were taken. One 

 line of soundings, taken every 10 oar strokes, from the Bardsley 



