Lake Comparisons
The following four tables give a comparison of the Elk River Chain-of-Lakes, the Elk River Chain-of-Lakes with other large inland lakes in Michigan, Torch Lake and the Great Lakes with the other largest freshwater lakes in the United States, and finally, the Great Lakes with all the largest freshwater lakes in the world. Reservoirs are excluded. Click here to view.
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According
to “Elk-Skegemog Lakes
Association: Fifty Years
of Stewardship”, Elk
Lake received its name from
an elk skull with antlers
attached found in the Elk
River.
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“Skegemog” is
an Algonquin word meaning “meeting of the waters”.
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Freeze-Thaw
Dates for Elk Lake: |
| ESLA
has been recording the freeze
and thaw dates for Elk Lake
for many years. |
- Earliest
Freeze Date:
December 22, 1989
- Earliest
Thaw Date: March 4, 1998
- Latest Freeze
Date: January 28, 1995
- Latest Thaw
Date: April 25, 1996
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Elk
Lake has a surface area
of 8,088 acres and includes
25.8 miles of shoreline.
The lake has a maximum
depth of 192 feet and
an average depth of 67
feet |
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| Skegemog
Lake has a surface area
of 2,755 acres and includes
15 miles of shoreline.
The lake has a maximum
depth of 29 feet and
an average depth of 11
feet. |
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| The
Elk River Watershed covers
320,000 acres and contains
54 lakes, 220 streams and
tributaries, as well as 110
miles of connecting waterways.
It is the largest watershed
in the Grand Traverse Bay
watershed. |
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The
Elk Rapids area was first
home to Native Americans
known as the Anishinabek,
who lived and played on its
white sand beaches long before
the first European settlers
appeared.
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‘Native
plants’ refers to plants
that were here before Michigan
was settled by Europeans
in the 1700’s. Here
is a list of some native
species that have hardy root
systems and serve as effective
natural shoreline protection: |
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Red
Osier
Dogwood
Big Bluestem Grass
American Hazelnut
Bottle Brush Grass
Sand Dune Willow
Hardstem Bulrush
Paper Birch
Black Eye Susan
White Cedar
Blue Eyed Grass
Sand Cherry
Indian Grass
White Pine
Goldenrods
Bearberry
Arborvitae
Wool Grass
Milkweed
Bergamot
Sumac
Alder
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From
Crystal Facets, Crystal
Lake Assoc, Fall/Winter
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The
Elk-Skegemog Watershed is
a 402 square mile portion
of Antrim County, Grand Traverse
County, and Kalkaska County
including Elk Rapids, Milton,
Whitewater, and Clearwater
Townships. |
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Elk
and Skegemog Lakes are at
the bottom of the Elk River
Watershed. The Watershed
extends from close to Lake
Charlevoix all the way to
the mouth of the Elk River
in Elk Rapids. |
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Nature Preserves On Our Lakes And Rivers |
Many preserves exist on Elk and Skegemog Lakes. These were created over the years by the hard work and generosity of donors and ESLA members. Large or small in size, each one represents a piece of our shoreline that will remain forever as it exists today. Many are best viewed by boat. ESLA is always looking for opportunities to help create more natural areas. If you have an idea, please contact your zone representatives or other board members so that we can work with you and dedicate more shoreline as Natural Areas. Listed below are the existing natural areas on our lakes.
- Kewadin Wetlands Natural Area – 41 acres along the northern-most shore of Elk Lake next to the Milton Township Park.
- North Skegemog Natural Preserve – 37 acres at the northwestern tip of Skegemog Lake, north of the Elk/Skegemog Narrows.
- Palastra-Holm Nature Preserve – 19 acres on Elk Lake south of Whitewater Township Park.
- Skegemog Lake Wildlife Area – 3300 acres with 5.5 miles of shoreline along the south and east sides of Skegemog Lake.
- South Elk Lake Wetlands Nature Preserve – 30 acres with 750 feet of frontage on Elk Lake at the southeast shore of Elk Lake.
ESLA is working with Whitewater Township and the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy on an additional project.
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