Waterloo State Recreation Area
Encyclopedia
Waterloo State Recreation Area is the third-largest park in Michigan
, encompassing over 21000 acres (85 km²) of forest
, lake
s and wetland
s. Located in northeast Jackson County
and parts of Washtenaw County
, the park is the largest in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan
and features 4 campgrounds, 11 lakes, a nature center, and over 50 miles (80.5 km) of trails - some for horses, bicycles, hiking
and cross-country skiing
. Waterloo SRA includes the Black Spruce Bog Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark
and borders the 11000 acres (44.5 km²) Pinckney Recreation Area
on the east and the 950 acres (3.8 km²) Phyllis Haehnle Memorial Audubon Sanctuary to the west. The land preserved by the park is not all contiguous and numerous private landholdings and roads run through the park area. The area is characterized by moraine
s, kettle lakes, swamps and bog
s left by retreating glaciers after the last ice age. The park was created by the federal government during the Great Depression and is long-term leased to the state.
large numbers of farms were abandoned or in financial trouble. The Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works studied the creation of a variety of kinds of parks in several states. The lands were transferred to the Resettlement Administration of the Department of Agriculture in 1935. In 1935-1936, 45 recreational demonstration projects
were established including 12000 acres (48.6 km²) at Waterloo. These areas were sited in marginal areas near large population centers to provide outdoor recreation actitivies and temporary employment. Most of the sites had CCC camps, Works Progress Administration
workers and other "relief workers". Permanent organized family, industrial and youth camps, roads, trails, park facilities buildings and bathing facilities were constructed. Waterloo had three permanent camps: the Cedar Lake, Mill Lake and Cassidy Lake camps. Mill Lake served inner-city youth and Cassidy Lake was a year-round trade school before being converted to its current use as a prison in 1942. Camp Waterloo began as a CCC camp, then served to train military police and as a German POW camp during WWII. It later became a low security prison and is currently abandoned. Sylvan Pond was created when the WPA put in a dam and levees at Cassidy Lake raised its water level permanently. The clubhouse of former Sylvan Estates Country Club is the current park headquarters.
The recreational demonstration projects were transferred from the Resettlement Administration to the National Park Service
in November, 1936. The Park Service ended hunting on all park lands it managed nationwide which created a local controversy in Waterloo. In 1943, the state of Michigan leased the park from the National Park Service under the conditions that it must remain a public park for recreational and conservation purposes. In particular, the lease for Waterloo Park requires marshes be maintained for the sandhill crane
s and that Michigan must provide funds to run the Yankee Springs Recreation Area
near Grand Rapids, the other recreational demonstration project in the state.
The park offers extensive trails that wind through the vast landscape and around the eleven lakes that exist within the park's confines - 12 miles (19.3 km) of interpretive nature trails, 47 miles (75.6 km) of hiking trails and numerous equestrian trails. The 36 miles (57.9 km) Waterloo-Pinckney Trail
runs across the park and into the adjoining 11000 acres (44.5 km²) Pinckney Recreation Area
.
The lakes host a variety of fish species which include Largemouth Bass
, Smallmouth Bass
, Bluegill
, Sunfish
, Catfish
, Northern Pike
and others. Crooked Lake, Clear Lake
, Little Portage Lake, Mill Lake, Sugarloaf Lake, Doyle Lake, Merkle Lake, Mud Lake
, and the Wimmewana Impoundment are among the eleven bodies of water found in the park. Clear Lake, Doyle Lake, Little Portage Lake and Merkle Lake are accessible by foot only by crossing state land. Fishing piers are located on Big Portage and Crooked lakes. Sugarloaf Lake has state owned access limited to campers and a privately owned access site. Public boat launches are located on the following lakes: Big Portage, Cedar, Green, Crooked, Mill, Mud, and Walsh. The Winnewana Impoundment also provides a boat landing. The launch site at Big Portage Lake meets ADAAG standards for universal accessibility.http://www.michigantrails.us/jackson-county-michigan/waterloo-state-recreation-area.html Boats may be rented by visitors at Big Portage Lake from the park if needed.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, encompassing over 21000 acres (85 km²) of forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
, lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s and wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s. Located in northeast Jackson County
Jackson County, Michigan
As of the census of 2000, there were 158,422 people, 58,168 households, and 40,833 families residing in the county. The population density was 224 people per square mile . There were 62,906 housing units at an average density of 89/sq mi...
and parts of Washtenaw County
Washtenaw County, Michigan
Washtenaw County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 344,791. Its county seat is Ann Arbor. The United States Office of Management and Budget defines the county as part of the Detroit–Warren–Flint Combined Statistical Area...
, the park is the largest in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan
Lower Peninsula of Michigan
The Lower Peninsula of Michigan is the southern of the two major landmasses of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is surrounded by water on all sides except its southern border, which it shares with Ohio and Indiana. Geographically, the Lower Peninsula has a recognizable shape that many people...
and features 4 campgrounds, 11 lakes, a nature center, and over 50 miles (80.5 km) of trails - some for horses, bicycles, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
. Waterloo SRA includes the Black Spruce Bog Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
and borders the 11000 acres (44.5 km²) Pinckney Recreation Area
Pinckney Recreation Area
Pinckney State Recreation Area is a Michigan state recreation area in Dexter, Sylvan and Lyndon Townships, Washtenaw County and Putnam and Unadilla Townships, Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The park is and sits at an elevation of . The park is connected to the nearby Waterloo...
on the east and the 950 acres (3.8 km²) Phyllis Haehnle Memorial Audubon Sanctuary to the west. The land preserved by the park is not all contiguous and numerous private landholdings and roads run through the park area. The area is characterized by moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
s, kettle lakes, swamps and bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s left by retreating glaciers after the last ice age. The park was created by the federal government during the Great Depression and is long-term leased to the state.
History
The Waterloo area was first settled in the 1830s but the ground was poorly suited for farming and during the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
large numbers of farms were abandoned or in financial trouble. The Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works studied the creation of a variety of kinds of parks in several states. The lands were transferred to the Resettlement Administration of the Department of Agriculture in 1935. In 1935-1936, 45 recreational demonstration projects
Recreational Demonstration Area
The Recreational Demonstration Area program was a National Park Service program during the 1930s and early 1940s that built forty-six public parks in twenty-four states on , chiefly near urban areas in the United States...
were established including 12000 acres (48.6 km²) at Waterloo. These areas were sited in marginal areas near large population centers to provide outdoor recreation actitivies and temporary employment. Most of the sites had CCC camps, Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
workers and other "relief workers". Permanent organized family, industrial and youth camps, roads, trails, park facilities buildings and bathing facilities were constructed. Waterloo had three permanent camps: the Cedar Lake, Mill Lake and Cassidy Lake camps. Mill Lake served inner-city youth and Cassidy Lake was a year-round trade school before being converted to its current use as a prison in 1942. Camp Waterloo began as a CCC camp, then served to train military police and as a German POW camp during WWII. It later became a low security prison and is currently abandoned. Sylvan Pond was created when the WPA put in a dam and levees at Cassidy Lake raised its water level permanently. The clubhouse of former Sylvan Estates Country Club is the current park headquarters.
The recreational demonstration projects were transferred from the Resettlement Administration to the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
in November, 1936. The Park Service ended hunting on all park lands it managed nationwide which created a local controversy in Waterloo. In 1943, the state of Michigan leased the park from the National Park Service under the conditions that it must remain a public park for recreational and conservation purposes. In particular, the lease for Waterloo Park requires marshes be maintained for the sandhill crane
Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest...
s and that Michigan must provide funds to run the Yankee Springs Recreation Area
Yankee Springs Recreation Area
Yankee Springs Recreation Area is a state-managed protected area located in Yankee Springs Township in Barry County, Michigan.The park is in area. It has 120 rustic, 200 modern and 25 equestrian camping sites, plus two cabins. There are of cross-county ski/hiking trails, of mountain biking...
near Grand Rapids, the other recreational demonstration project in the state.
Facilities and activities
The park offers over 434 campsites that are available in two modern campgrounds, one equestrian and one rustic campground. Also available to visitors are thirteen rustic cabins. The park boasts a swimming beach, several picnic sites, 11 fishing lakes, and eight boat launches. Hunting for small game and deer is allowed in most of the park, except for established safety zones around campgrounds and park facilities.The park offers extensive trails that wind through the vast landscape and around the eleven lakes that exist within the park's confines - 12 miles (19.3 km) of interpretive nature trails, 47 miles (75.6 km) of hiking trails and numerous equestrian trails. The 36 miles (57.9 km) Waterloo-Pinckney Trail
Waterloo-Pinckney Trail
The Waterloo-Pinckney Trail is a 36-mile-long hiking trail which runs through Waterloo State Recreation Area and Pinckney Recreation Area in southeastern Michigan, USA. Part of the trail also passes through Park Lyndon County Park. The trail travels through glacial features such as eskers and...
runs across the park and into the adjoining 11000 acres (44.5 km²) Pinckney Recreation Area
Pinckney Recreation Area
Pinckney State Recreation Area is a Michigan state recreation area in Dexter, Sylvan and Lyndon Townships, Washtenaw County and Putnam and Unadilla Townships, Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The park is and sits at an elevation of . The park is connected to the nearby Waterloo...
.
The lakes host a variety of fish species which include Largemouth Bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
, Bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, Sunfish
Sunfish
-Saltwater fishes:*Molidae, family of Ocean Sunfishes*Opah, family Lampridae; two species-Freshwater fishes:* Pygmy sunfish, six members of the genus Elassoma* Centrarchidae, a perciform family of about 27 species...
, Catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, Northern Pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
and others. Crooked Lake, Clear Lake
Clear Lake
Clear Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake entirely in California, and has the largest surface area of any freshwater lake entirely in California, the tenth largest by capacity. It is located in Lake County and is fed by runoff flowing into many streams as well as springs in Soda Bay. Its...
, Little Portage Lake, Mill Lake, Sugarloaf Lake, Doyle Lake, Merkle Lake, Mud Lake
Mud Lake
-Cities, towns, townships, etc.:* Mud Lake, Arkansas* Mud Lake, California, former name of Fleener, California* Mud Lake, Idaho* Mud Lake, Minnesota* Mud Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador* Mud Lake, Ontario-Lakes:...
, and the Wimmewana Impoundment are among the eleven bodies of water found in the park. Clear Lake, Doyle Lake, Little Portage Lake and Merkle Lake are accessible by foot only by crossing state land. Fishing piers are located on Big Portage and Crooked lakes. Sugarloaf Lake has state owned access limited to campers and a privately owned access site. Public boat launches are located on the following lakes: Big Portage, Cedar, Green, Crooked, Mill, Mud, and Walsh. The Winnewana Impoundment also provides a boat landing. The launch site at Big Portage Lake meets ADAAG standards for universal accessibility.http://www.michigantrails.us/jackson-county-michigan/waterloo-state-recreation-area.html Boats may be rented by visitors at Big Portage Lake from the park if needed.
Gerald E. Eddy Discovery Center
The Gerald E. Eddy Discovery Center features exhibits on the geology and natural habitats of Waterloo State Recreation Area, both in pre-settler times and today. Another display shows fluted spear points used by the Paleo-Indian hunters and other cultural history artifacts. There is an auditorium, interactive exhibits and computer games. The center hosts special events and programs for school groups.External links
- Waterloo Recreation Area Michigan Department of Natural Resources
- Gerald E. Eddy Discovery Center Michigan DNR
- Waterloo Recreation Area Protected Planet (World Database on Protected Areas)