For Love of Lakes

Steven Heiskary, a research scientist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, describes Nelson’s book this way:

This book is of special interest to me because I live on one of those ‘dream’ lakes alluded to by Nelson in his book.  This book is both a scientific study of lake environments and their interaction with land and air, and a travelogue of Nelson’s visits to various lakes, from Rainy Lake on the Minnesota/Canadian border to Walden Pond in Massachusetts.   I found myself looking at my relationship to Turtle Lake in the same manner Nelson looks at lakes overall.  There is the scientific, environmental aspect (cognitive); and the more feel good, beauty, tranquil, feeling nature of lakes (emotional).  I live on a lake whose shoreline is mostly owned by summer residents. They are attracted to the lake for the emotional rewards of lake living, for the most part. Of course I also love living on the lake. One of the best front yards there is! But I also measure lake level, take water samples to measure the health of the lake, investigate the presence of invasive species, all to preserve a healthy, natural environment of the lake.

A critical and helpful theme in the book is the perception people often have of lakes. Environmental concerns and climate change discussions mostly focus on the land, the air, and oceans. Nelson argues that freshwater lakes should hold as much concern as other environments because lakes affect and are affected by those other environments. In fact,, the health of lakes are very accurate indicators of the health of surrounding land and air quality.

There are historical themes running through the book as well.  Nelson mentions the history of a few small lakes in Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Walden Pond in Massachusetts of course.  In fact, he ends the book with two chapters devoted to Henry David Thoreau and his observations, both scientific and emotional. There is also an interesting history of the vast lake Agassiz that covered much of northern Minnesota, some of North Dakota, and into the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Ontario in the geological past, a lake four times the size of Lake Superior. He also described the continuing influence of that vast lake bed on the areas it encompassed, including some of the most fertile farming land in North America.

In Walden, Henry Thoreau states: “a lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature.  It is earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”  Nelson comments: “Your words make sense to me now.  Looking into earth’s eye reflects our values, beliefs, and behaviors.”

Those of us living in Minnesota, and revering our precious lakes, may be aware that the majority of lakes in the southern two thirds of the state are polluted beyond recovery.  And many people, like me, wonder if that will soon be the fate of lakes in the northern part of the state as well.  I do hold out hope that our love of, attraction to lakes, will motivate us to act in ways that will mitigate, if not prevent that, from happening. 

Nelson puts it this way: “Eutrophication, erosion, pollution, exotic species invasions, and removal of shore vegetation and native aquatic plant communities accelerate lakes through their already too short natural lives. Inaction does not become creatures of love, common sense, and reason.  Descendants of our tribe would never forgive us.”

Reviewed by John Hanson