Lake Artemesia is a man-made lake formed from the land excavated to elevate the tracks of the Metro Green line which run parallel to it. The lake is about a half a mile North of the College Park Metro station.
It has become a beautiful wildlife refuge with paved paths around and across it. The only downer is that boating is prohibited. This lake would be perfect for kayaking.
3 comments:
This is a lovely shot. I didn't know Metro construction had created a manmade lake!
Do you think those responsible for the ban on boating even considered kayaks? I'm thinking their primary concern was probably motorized water traffic. Assuming human impact on the natural environment could be managed properly/mitigated, kayaking might be permitted -- if someone were to take the initiative to enlist the support of kayaking/outdoor enthusiasts, the Sierra Club and local representatives.
I wonder if there have been any other lakes created as a result of Metro construction. What a great twofer: mass transit benefiting commuters and the environment, and a beautiful lake -- great for nature lovers and the creation of new wildlife habitat.
Now if we can just get area jurisdictions to clean up the (Anacostia and) Potomac and stop backsliding on the goal to make the latter swimmable and fishable. If it weren't for the EPA stepping in, Williams and the DC City Council would have allowed WASA (the Water and Sewer Authority) to maintain the status quo well into the first half of this century (at least), a poorly engineered combined sewer system that continues annually to dump stormwater runoff contaminated with millions gallons of raw sewage directly into the Potomac.
Just ee-uuuww.
Thanks. I hear the concern is all the underwater hazards should someone flip a boat over. Also its probably easier to ban boating than to regulate it. Still, if a vendor steps up to rent some canoes or kayaks...
You can go canoeing and kayaking around the lake once a month during a guided tour. See the link below. Hope this helps all nature enthusiasts.
http://www.pgparks.com/things/calendar.html#throughout
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