Wazee Lake

Wazee Lake
Location	Black River Falls, Wisconsin
Coordinates	44.290°N 90.723°W / 44.290; -90.723
Type	Artificial
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	4,000 ft (1,200 m)
Max. width	1,800 ft (550 m)
Surface area	146 acres (59 ha)
Max. depth	355 feet (108 m)
Surface elevation	900 feet (275 m)

Wazee Lake is a lake east of Black River Falls, Wisconsin. The name "Wazee" means "tall pine" in the Ho-Chunk language. The lake is the deepest lake within the state of Wisconsin, with a maximum depth of approximately 355 feet. The lake was formed artificially, after being used as a quarry for taconite mining between the mid-1960s through April 1983. The quarry produced about 850,000 tons of taconite pellets each year. The mine closed in 1983 as a result of a crash of the domestic steel markets in the United States. When the mine was in operation, pumps removed about 800 gallons of water per minute from the quarry. Once these pumps were shut down, the quarry began filling with water.

The lake, now part of a county park, is now a prime scuba diving destination because of its deep, clear water. Visibility averages between 30 and 40 feet during the summer months. There are also visible remains of mining operations underwater, such as roadways used for hauling equipment. Some features have been added to the lake, such as underwater platforms for training divers and fish cribs to improve habitat for the fish. Fish species within the lake include rainbow, brook and brown trout, bluegills, suckers, catfish, and smallmouth bass.

Scuba divers approaching a platform about 20 feet below the surface of Wazee Lake.

A fish crib, which provides habitat for small fish.

References

• "Wazee Lake Recreation Area". Jackson County, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
• "East and West Arbutus County Parks". Jackson County, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
• "Jackson County, Wisconsin". explorewisconsin.com. Retrieved 2006-11-29.