Lake Allegan

Lake Allegan is a man-made lake located in Valley Township just outside the city of Allegan in the U.S. state of Michigan (Allegan County). The water is safe for swimming and boating.[1] The lake has a large surface area of almost 1,600 acres (2.5 mi², 6.475 km²). Salmon runs occur on the western side of Lake Allegan's Calkins Bridge dam which leads to Lake Michigan via the Kalamazoo River.[2][3]

Lake Allegan
Lake Allegan
Location within the state of Michigan
LocationAllegan County, Michigan
Coordinates42°33′N 85°56′W
Primary inflowsKalamazoo River
Primary outflowsLake Michigan
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length6 mi (9.7 km)
Max. width1.5 mi (2.4 km)
Surface area2.5 sq mi (6.5 km2)
Average depth15 ft (4.6 m)
Surface elevation600 ft (180 m)
IslandsEagle Island
SettlementsAllegan, MI

Lake Allegan is adjacent to the 50,000-acre Allegan Forest.[4][5] Geese, ducks, kingfishers, eagles and great blue herons frequent the lake. The Allegan Lake Overlook is one of the best places to view the lake located on Monroe Road, two and one half miles from M-89. There is a DNR access point and a boat launch located at Echo Point on Monroe Road near 42nd Street.[6][7]

On the west shoreline of Lake Allegan, there still exists the building foundations of a P.O.W. camp that housed German prisoners during World War II. This camp, which is part of the Allegan State Game Area, was in use until the end of the war.[8] The prisoners at the camp thought Lake Allegan was Lake Michigan and that they could escape by swimming to Chicago.[9]

Lake Allegan's water levels are constant and predictable due to Calkins Bridge Dam. The Kalamazoo River flows into Lake Allegan to Calkins and then out to Lake Michigan near Saugatuck. Calkins Bridge Dam provides electricity for the area and recreational opportunities. In the spring and fall, when the fish are spawning, the Calkins Bridge Dam is a favorite spot for fishermen. The Calkins Bridge Dam is owned and operated by Consumers Energy Company and is also referred to as Allegan Hydroelectric Plant.[10][11][12]

Lake Allegan

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-12-21. Retrieved 2014-01-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-12-21. Retrieved 2014-10-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "A Brief History of Valley Township". Valley Township, Allegan County, Michigan, USA. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  4. Dnr, Michigan. "Michigan" (PDF). Retrieved 11 October 2010.
  5. Michigan. "Property".
  6. Weick, Charlotte (27 July 2009). "Traveling the Heritage Trail: Lake Allegan area". Advance Newspapers. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  7. http://www.bbonline.com/articles/michigan/allegan/a-guide-to-boating-on-lake-allegan.html
  8. Michigan dnr. "Wildlife habitat" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-08-29. Retrieved 2012-10-11. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. "A Brief History of Valley Township". Valley Township, Allegan County, Michigan, USA. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  10. Allegan Tourist Council. "Allegan County Heritage Trail". Allegan County Heritage Trail Guide. Allegan County Tourist Council. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  11. "Exploring Lake Allegan". Archived from the original on 2014-12-21.
  12. Allegan Tourist Council. "Allegan County Heritage Trail". Allegan County Heritage Trail Guide. Allegan County Tourist Council. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.