Historical Changes in the Clear Lake Waterscape
Kenneth Carlander,
David Knoll, Carol Elsberry and John A. Downing
Special Acknowledgment. Dr. Ken Carlander, a well-known emeritus
scientist at Iowa State University and long-time analyst of the Clear Lake
ecosystem, began to chronicle changes in the Clear Lake shoreline in the early
1950s by establishing a photographic record.
We re-discovered Dr. Carlander’s photographs in the Carlander Library of
the Department of Animal Ecology at Iowa State University, and repeated as many
as possible in late 2000. David Knoll
took the 2000 photographs and Carol Elsberry selected views that offer the most
coherent look at the changed landscape.
The 2000 photos were taken in autumn so the vegetation is somewhat
different, but aquatic plants would still be quite visible if present. This series of photos offers a unique view
of ways in which the shoreline, landscape and waterscape of Clear Lake have
changed over the last half-century.
Notes are offered below to highlight some of the changes.
Plates #1. Although emergent rushes are still visible in 2000, their extent is much smaller. In the foreground, note the current complete lack of shallow water vegetation.
Plates #2. This wave-swept beach has changed little since 1965 although background shore development is greatly increased.
Plate #3. No current image available.
Plate #4. No current image available.
Plates #5. The 1961 photo shows widespread emergent plants in the foreground and across the bay. The dark patches on the lake surface to the left and right show very dense submerged macrophytes growth. The current photograph shows that low water clarity has eradicated all emergent and submergent macrophytes.
Plate #6. No current image available.
Plates #7. This open water series does not show enough detail to allow comparison of water quality, but one can note a large amount of new shore development in the background.
Plate #8. No current image available.
Plates #9. The 1952 image shows dark patches on the water surface that indicate extensive submergent macrophytes growth. Further, although trees in Ventura are smaller, shore vegetation was allowed to grow. Riparian vegetation is important for protecting the shore. The current photograph shows no submergent or emergent macrophytes and a lawn-like shore. These indicate poor shore management and greatly reduced water clarity.
Plates #10. The 1954 image shows completely wooded shores, while the current image shows a great deal of shore clearing. Wooded riparian zones are important for the protection of water quality and provide good buffer zones.
Plates #11. The 1966 photograph shows well-developed shore vegetation that is quite diverse and abundant. The 2000 photograph shows no shore vegetation at the same site. Riparian vegetation is essential for the protection of water quality.
Plate #12. No current photograph available but the 1952 photograph shows extensive, dense and diverse patches of submerged macrophytic vegetation. This vegetation can no longer grow in Clear Lake due to reduced water clarity. Submerged vegetation keeps sediments from resuspending and provides excellent fish habitat.
Plates #13. The current photograph shows that McIntosh Point currently has more vegetation and is a more substantial geographical feature than it was in 1955.
Plates #14. The striking difference in emergent and submergent vegetation shows a radical degradation in water clarity since 1958. This is a profound change that decreases the quality of the habitat for aquatic and terrestrial organisms and increases the nutrient loading through resuspension of nutrient-rich sediments.
Plates #15. Although there is still some emergent vegetation at left in the current photograph, submerged vegetation has completely disappeared and the entire bed of rushes at right has been eradicated.
Plates #16. Shore disturbance has removed near-shore vegetation. Short macrophytes near shore at left in 1962 indicate that plant biodiversity has changed considerably since this time.
Plates #17. Although some of the rushes that existed in 1966 are still present, the density and extent of the plants is now greatly reduced. Note also the current poor condition of riparian vegetation.
Plates #18. Near-shore vegetation has been eradicated (likely due to reduced cover from wave-action) and the density and extent of emergent plants is now greatly reduced over 1960 conditions. Note also the nearly complete removal of riparian vegetation.
Plates #19. The 1966 photograph shows well-developed cattail and bulrushes. The current photograph shows complete eradication of this important riparian vegetation.
Plates #20. The 1960 photograph shows extremely dense beneficial emergent plant growth and wide and well-developed riparian plants along the grade. The current photograph shows a complete lack of aquatic vegetation and a very thin riparian buffer.
Plates #21. The band of bulrushes in 1956 was wide and quite dense in the deep waters. This vegetation shielded the shallow waters from extreme wave-action, allowing emergent plants to remain rooted near shore. The current photograph shows a narrower band of bulrushes and a denuded band near shore due to reduced offshore plant density and extent.
Plates #22. The 1962 photograph shows dense and diverse riparian, emergent and submerged vegetation, which supported abundant wildlife (note muskrat houses). The current photograph shows that vegetation has been reduced to patches of the most resistant emergent plants. No submergent macrophytes are currently visible in photographs of this site.
Plates #23. The shore zone in 1956 was stabilized by a dense band of beneficial rushes and other emergent plants at this site. Nearly all of these plants have now been eradicated.
Plates #24. This very exposed site had a dense band of emergent macrophytes beyond the surf zone in 1962, but nearly all of these stabilizing plants are now gone.
Plates #25. This is the sole site that seems to indicate more extensive aquatic vegetation now than in 1962. This is perhaps due to the denser and more developed riparian woodland.
Plates #26. This site still shows some of the extensive emergent macrophytes beds that were present in 1962, but it is important to note that whereas many plants grew close to shore in 1962, the reduced plant density has apparently allowed wave-action to uproot macrophytes in the surf-zone near shore.
Plates #27. Although it is somewhat difficult to discern beyond the unwise piles of soil near shore in 1958, one can discern beds of submerged aquatic plants among the docks. Little of this vegetation now remains.
Plates #28. In 1956, this site showed dense and well-developed emergent macrophytes beds reaching a great distance from shore. These shore- and bottom-stabilizing macrophytes beds have been completely eradicated.
Plates #29. These plates show the current poor condition of the carp-control structure in Ventura Marsh.
Plates #30. This wave-swept shoreline near the island has changed little since 1962.
#1 – FROM
FARMER’S BEACH, CLAUSEN’S COVER, LOOKING TOWARD
LONE TREE POINT
#2 – BAYSIDE – EAST OF ISLAND LOOKING NORTH
#3 – McINTOSH WOODS – MAMMOTH BRIDGE IN CENTER
BACKGROUND (TAKEN FROM BOAT)
#4 – LONE
TREE POINT FROM WEST END (TAKEN FROM BOAT)
#5 – LOOKING EAST TOWARD McINTOSH ON LEFT AND LONE
TREE ON RIGHT FROM GRADE
#6 – BOY
SCOUT CAMP TAKEN FROM BOAT
#7 – KASTER’S KOVE
IN CENTER BACKGROUND
FROM HESSER’S DOCK
#8 – WEST OF BOY SCOUT CAMP TAKEN FROM BOAT
#9 – VENTURA
FROM ACROSS LAKE (FROM HESSER’S DOCK)
#10 – FROM
VENTURA HEIGHTS BANK
TOWARD LONE TREE POINT
#11 – FIN AND FEATHER
BOAT DOCK NEAR GRADE
#12 –
KASTER’S IN RIGHT BACKGROUND (TAKEN FROM BOAT)
#13 - McINTOSH POINT WEST SIDE OF SANDBAR (TAKEN FROM BOAT)
#14 – LOOKING
SOUTHEAST ALONG WEST SIDE OF McINTOSH
#15 – GRADE IN
RIGHT BACKGROUND FROM McINTOSH BLUFF
NEAR POINT
#16 – SOUTH
BAY LOOKING TOWARD ISLAND
#17 –
SOUTHEAST TOWARD CLAUSEN’S COVE FROM McINTOSH
BLUFF NEAR POINT
#18 – DEAD
MAN’S CURVE LOOKING TOWARD ISLAND
#19 – FROM HESSER’S
LOOKING TOWARD SANDBAR
#20 –
SOUTHWEST CORNER OF WEST END. HESSER’S DOCK
IN BACKGROUND – TAKEN FROM GRADE
#21 – FROM
EAST END OF BLACK RUSHES
LOOKING TOWARD CLAUSEN’S COVE
#22 – LOOKING
SOUTH FROM BRIDGE CULVERT
BETWEEN WILLOW INN AND ELM BEND
#23 – STATE
DOCK LOOKING WEST
#24 – GARNER
BEACH LOOKING SOUTHEAST
#25 – FROM
STATE DOCK TOWARD BUEHLER’S
#26 – LOOKING
FROM EAST CORNER (FENCE)
OF McINTOSH WEST TOWARD SANDBAR
#27 – LOOKING
SOUTHWEST FROM HATCHERY (ISLAND CENTER BACKGROUND)
#28 – WEST
SIDE OF McINTOSH LOOKING FROM BANK AT SOUTH END OF McINTOSH WOODS TOWARD KATER’S
#29 – VENTURA MARSH – CARP TRAP
#30 – WEST
SIDE OF ISLAND FROM PRINCESS DOCK
DRIVE DOWN BY RITZ CLUB