40 
FOURTEENTH REPORT. 
THE VEGETATION 
DOUGLAS LAKE, 
OF THE REGION IN THE VICINITY OF 
CHEBOYGAN COUNTY, MICHIGAN, 1911 1 
BY PRANK C. GATES. 
INTRODUCTION. 
While engaged in the field operations of the Michigan Geological and 
Biological Survey during the summer of 1911, the author was stationed 
at the University of Michigan Biological Station at Douglas Lake from 
June 20th to August 21st. A nearly complete representation of the 
higher plants was collected and deposited with the Survey. Many 
notes and fotografs were taken which serve as the basis of this report. 
LOCATION AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE REGION. 
Douglas Lake is located in fhe northern end of the Southern Penin- 
sula. midway between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan and about IT 
miles south of Mackinaw City, at an elevation of 710 feet above sea 
level or 130 feet above Lake Michigan. While the special features of 
the region are indicated on the accompanying map (Plate 1), in general, 
the region is a level, sandy pinery with a few ridges and hills of 
morainic origin. Two fair-sized lakes, Douglas Lake and Burt Lake, 
are about two miles apart, but Douglas Lake is 118 feet higher than 
Burt Lake. A general view of Burt Lake is shown in Plate 5. A few 
rather insignificant streams flow into Douglas Lake and the lake itself 
flows into Burt Lake thru a small stream, known as Maple River, shown 
in Plate Ga. Its channel is, however, not open for boats. The greater 
part of the drainage of such soil is underground. Sometimes very 
definite channels are formed, of which the most evident are those com- 
ing to the surface about two-thirds of a mile southwest of the university 
station, at the head of a gorge. They form the little stream, Carp Creek, 
which drains into Burt Lake. The gorge is continually being cut fur- 
ther back and should it be cut a mile more towards the north, Douglas 
Lake would be nearly drained. These lakes have sandy shores which ex- 
tend down into the water as a shallow shelf, usually a number of feet 
wide and deepening with a gradual slope. This shelf is terminated by 
a sudden, precipitous drop, known as the “drop-off,” beyond which it 
may be 20 to 65 or 80 feet to the bottom. The drop-off is exceedingly 
well-markt by the sudden change of color of the shallow water to the 
deep blue of the deep water. When aquatic vegetation is present there 
are no emerst plants beyond the drop-off. 
Thruout the rest of the region, with the exception of the streams and 
occasional marshes and Chamaedaphne bogs, the tree form of vegetation 
prevails. The aspen type is most widely distributed, tlio its members 
'Published by permission of Alexander G. Ruthven, Chief Naturalist, Michigan Geological and 
Biological Survey. 
