Ethan Lake - May 2013

Yesterday after visiting Lake Hanson, Dave Finck and I took the short drive south down 421^st Street to Highway 42 and continued west about seven miles to 413^th Avenue until we reached the well-marked turn-off to Ethan Lake, just a couple of miles east of the small town of Ethan. 

Flatbed trailer used as a dock on Ethan Lake

Ethan Lake is described as being about 39 surface acres, having a maximum depth of 11 feet, and formed by impounding the flow from Twelve-Mile Creek.  The lake was developed in 1937 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and named after the nearby town of Ethan (http://gfp.sd.gov/fishing-boating/tacklebox/lake-surveys/southeast-lakes/docs/Ethan%202012.pdf).  While the lake is rather narrow, it extends northwest from the spillway for about a mile and a-half until reaching twin culverts passing under a road that feeds the creek waters into the lake.

Dave Finck in his Wenohan kevlar canoe

The “put-in” is on the southwestern end of the lake in a newly developed park.  We did not find a boat ramp, but putting in the canoe along the shoreline was easy.  There were two docks out into the water; one of them was new to me:  a flatbed trailer that must have been used behind a semi was just backed into the water.  That seems like a fast and efficient way to install a dock!

Heading north on Ethan Lake 

There are a few trees in the park area and a few along the spillway.  Otherwise, this is a pretty open body of water.  The lake continues northwest, gradually narrowing down as it approaches the inlet from Twelve-Mile Creek.

A great number of turtles seem to inhabit the lake, perhaps the most turtles I have seen in such a body of water.  Turtles seem to have enough visual ability to slide off rocks as soon as a canoe or kayak approaches.  We found some large flat rocks with a dozen turtles sunning themselves.  Then, there were some large turtles swimming just beneath the surface.  We also saw large carp moving through the shallow edge of the lake; they seemed to stir up the mud and then swim by us.  I didn’t see any jumping today. 

We passed one northern pike that was vertical in the water and seemed to be gasping for air.

Ethan Lake might be a good place for those with a keen interest in classic cars. 

There were several spots where old cars had been abandoned or dropped of along the bank.

Of course, there was no one else visible in the area. We were alone on the lake with just the birds, turtles, and fish.   The only development along Ethan Lake is the small park; there are no cabins and few trees.  The water depth is adequate, although there are some large rocks lurking just under the surface in some spots

The distance from Sioux Falls to Ethan Lake makes it outside the paddling circle for me.  Still, it is an interesting cruise, especially for someone interested in observing birdlife – or junked classic cars.

Inlet from Twelve-Mile Creek into north end of Ethan Lake

There are three lakes in this general area that I have visited over the past few years: Lake Dimock, Lake Hanson, and Ethan Lake.  Each of them has some unique quality and all are worthy of a cruise.  From Sioux Falls, all of them could be visited in one day; the cruise and lunch in one of the small towns would be a really fine outing!  Narratives for all three lakes can be accessed through the menu of area waterways located on the right side of this blog.

A complete set of the photographs for this cruise on Ethan Lake can be found on my Flickr account at the following URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157633450012199/detail/

Lake Hanson - May 2013

Entering into North Shore Drive from 421st Street 

After several years of kayaking and canoeing area waterways, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find new bodies of water within the Sioux Falls area.  My general rule of thumb has been to never spend more time in the car traveling to and from a “put-in” than I do actually on the water.  But, in the search for new paddling opportunities, it has become necessary sometimes to travel further afar to a new lake, river, or creek.

Looking west down Lake Hanson from Highway

This morning, Dave Finck picked me up with his van, trailer, and one of his Kevlar Wenonah canoes for a ride west along I-90 toward Mitchell.  We turned off at Alexandria for a visit to Lake Hanson.  This little gem of a lake is just two miles south of Alexandria.  There is a newly resurfaced highway (421^st Street) leading out of Alexandria two miles to North Shore Drive and a large sign announcing Lake Hanson on the right.

Launching site next to swimming beach

The lake is oriented east and west, and there is a developed area on the north side with lake homes, a beach, and a launching ramp. Pierre Creek flows into the lake from the east and exits at a spillway on the western end.  Lake Hanson is listed by the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks at 55 surface acres, which is about half the size of Lake Alvin.  The average depth is 8 feet, and the maximum depth is 17 feet. The lake extends about a mile from east to west and ranges from about 250 yards to 100 yards in width.  The lake was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1934 and named by a local lake committee in honor of Hanson County (http://gfp.sd.gov/fishing-boating/tacklebox/lake-surveys/southeast-lakes/docs/Hanson%202012.pdf)

Looking west along south shore of Lake Hanson

We put in alongside the swimming beach in the Lake Hanson Recreation area on the north side of the lake.  There is another launching site further west along North Shore Drive. 

Nearing east end of Lake Hanson

From the put-in, we began a cruise along the shoreline, first to the dam and spillway and then along the south side for a mile or so to the culvert feeding Pierre Creek into the lake.  The south side is undeveloped and an easy cruise through deep water until reaching the eastern end.

Dave Finck in an "over the shoulder" photo from the bow

The day was really wonderful with little or no wind, sunny skies, and a temperature in the 60s.  We were alone on the water with just the turtles and birds. 

Heading west along the developed north shore of Lake Hanson

I think that this is a beautiful little lake, and living along the north shore would be a wonderful life.  The undeveloped sections of the lake provide good opportunity for bird watching and just enjoying life on the water.  We spend about an hour on the cruise this morning.

Along the south shore of Lake Hanson

As I looked at Pierre Creek entering into the lake from the east and then the spillway exit to the west, I was again amazed that such a minor creek can be impounded to create such a lake. These lakes that have been developed from flowing streams seem to retain their shape and depth even during times of drought.  Other lakes in the area that are natural but really more slough-like tend to dry up during periods of extended drought.

The spillway at the western end of Lake Hanson

The distance to Lake Hanson from Sioux Falls makes return visits for me unlikely. People who live in the Mitchell and Alexandria area, though, have a treasure for easy paddling and a pleasant cruise.

Pierre Creek feeding into Lake Hanson on east end

The set of photos of the cruise on Lake Hanson can be found at my Flicker site at the following URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayheath/sets/72157633450046861/detail/

Lake Alvin in Early Delayed Spring: End of April 2013

Public Access Area on Southwestern End of Lake Alvin

I have not cruised on Lake Alvin since last November. The spring has been delayed for about a month this year, and people are just now getting out on the area waterways.  This morning I decided to take advantage of the best forecast of the upcoming week and drive out to Lake Alvin.  The lake is just 15 minutes from my eastside Sioux Falls home, and I waited today until about 9:00 a.m. to leave.  The temperature was in the 60s, it was sunny, and a moderate wind was coming down the lake from the north.  As is often the case, I was the only person on or around the lake.  A guy showed up just as I was leaving with a couple of dogs that were anxious for me to leave the area so that they could run into the lake.

The dock is yet installed for the public access area along the southwestern side, although it is in at the recreation area launching site.  I departed from the public access area and paddled across to the east side and then headed south toward Nine-Mile Creek.

Nine-Mile Creek Flowing into Lake Alvin

There is plenty of water in the lake, unlike my trip to Mud Lake last Friday.  The water level in Lake Alvin seems pretty normal to me. 

Going a mile or so up Nine-Mile Creek is my favorite way to begin a cruise on Lake Alvin.  The creek flows into the lake from the south.  Moving down the lake and up into the creek requires that a kayak hug the eastern (life side going up into the creek) shore in order to escape shoal water in the southern end of the lake.

Nine-Mile Creek is about 50 feet wide as it enters Lake Alvin, but it gradually narrows down on the journey south until it is perhaps 10 feet wide and too shallow for even a kayak.  A trip up the creek takes about 20 minutes going upstream and then about 15 minutes for the float back.  The creek had adequate depth all the way; I even used my rudder most of the time. 

There were lots of birds out today, especially waterfowl.  Geese and ducks seemed to be nesting along the shore and in the marsh and growth just into the shoreline. I saw a couple variety of ducks, lots of geese, a coupe of egrets, and lots of perching birds. I did not see any mammal life today, although there were some turtles just easing out into the morning sun.  I have heard that turtles have poor eyesight, but they seem to see my kayak approaching from 30 feet away. I no more than glimpsed them before they would slide off their resting spot and into the water.

After exiting Nine-Mile Creek, I proceeded north along the eastern shore of the main body of the lake until I was opposite the recreation area dock on the northwestern side.  From there, I crossed over to the western side and continued back to the public access launching area.

Paddling in a deep body of water was just the opposite of the Mud Lake cruise on Friday.  It was pleasant to cruise along, especially in Nine-Mile Creek, and hear only the sounds of bird life and watch the green shoots of grass poking through the brown winter cover.  The cruise today was just under two hours.

For anyone interested in past narratives of cruises on Lake Alvin, check out the inventory of narratives on the right side of the blog; there are 38 narratives of past cruises just on Lake Alvin.