We’ve come to the point I’ve shot enough pictures of Draper Lake until major changes of some sort justify another round. However, yesterday’s ride brought just a few visual nuggets. I’m not expert enough to be sure, but Okies call this white flowering tree a dogwood. While visually attractive, especially in its native setting, these blossoms stink. The trees are rather popular and there are places where I ride past and catch an intense whiff of the nasty smell. It will be around for a few more weeks.
Let’s compare here. This is the same spot in both pictures, but yesterday they were still in their winter “dress” so to speak (image on the right). So far as I can tell, the county doesn’t mow this, so if it rains as much as meteorologists expect this spring, we can expect another high wall later in the summer. The previous crop breaks off as new shoots spring from the same roots.
On the left was the high-water mark for last spring at the far SW corner of Draper Lake. On the right was the shot from yesterday at one of the lowest levels I’ve seen in several years. My understanding is that they are allowing it to stay low to permit work on several shore facilities that should be partly underwater later. And while many passing motorcyclists and cyclists rode past craning their necks to see them, I tried to avoid capturing the bikini babes partially obscured by the tree. (I’m really not a fan of such public exhibitions of flesh.)
Finally, a coda to my survey of the proposed West Elm Creek Reservoir that will rest on the west side and nearly up against the current Draper Lake (East Elm Creek Reservoir). According to the hydrological survey maps, this photo shows the source of West Elm Creek. It’s been slightly changed by the landscaping done to accommodate Interstate 240 (visible on the left side of the picture), but barely visible on the right is a viaduct that runs under the bike path. So if they ever build that dam, the water line would probably be just on the other side the bike path.
