They are going to do some repair to the dam, so they drained Prickett Dam, much to our surprise when we arrived there one day when we took a ride to get some photos of some autumn color here in the U.P.
So here is Part Two of the drained dam pictures that captivated me when we got there.
Before long, all of these tangled tree roots and stumps will be covered once again under the water and a smooth lake will hide them.
But look how spooky it looked when we got there!
Like a wasteland against the backdrop of the far shore, which was bright with autumn color!:
But LOOK at one of the many tangled tree roots we saw!
Each one was like a sculpture or work of art to my eyes:
This entire tree looked like it was left "high and dry" in the middle of the lake's bottom:
Another long shot of the dam to show you how many stumps there were hiding under its water!:
Some stumps were left upside down, which made them look like mushrooms!:
Some were so dramatic that I had to do some black and white photos of them:
Look at this HUGE root!:
And the draining of the dam left some victims of nature there:
What a contrast! Barren roots and a shore of color:
I loved this giant tree root too.
Stay tuned for Part Three of Three, which will be the last of this three part series of Prickett Dam.
I could have taken hundreds of photos of nature's art there~!
INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWow! How fortunate you were to arrive at that time! Reminds me of a fictional story I heard as a young girl about a man who was able to hold all the water from a lake in his cheeks so that his greedy friend could collect the treasures on the lake bottom. Look at the treasures that have been exposed by draining this lake....
ReplyDeleteIt is strange how a forest like area gets covered with water and all those tree roots are still there.
ReplyDeleteOoooo, that B&W looks perfect for the Halloween period here. Great shots, Joan. One more, huh?
ReplyDeletei looks like a graveyard...the unearthed skeletons of old leviathans...stunning hots, as always.
ReplyDeleteThis area is almost spooky. I don't understand why they hadn't taken some of those trees out before they flooded it. Good shots.
ReplyDeleteI can feel the pleasure of your day spent at the dam, your photo's are absolutely gorgeous, you have captured so much Joan, luv ya...Hugs
ReplyDeleteI had been wondering if everything makes it out as they drain the lake-I guess they don't--poor critters!
ReplyDeleteI wondered before if any underwater animals were lost because of this. I think I become more sad now than any grownup should be when I see a dead animal. I still like these pictures though. It looks like a disaster happened here until I read your explanation. It has an odd beauty either way.
ReplyDeleteSureal! Definitely think this drama looks better in B&W.
ReplyDeleteBoomer: Thanks so much!!
ReplyDeleteWendytb: What a neat tale you heard about..I bet his cheeks were pretty big. ha
Grannyann: Yes. They must have been live trees and then the tops died and fell in the water too when that happened.
DJan: Yep. One last installment before I make everyone bored with all the photos I took. I just couldn't stop taking them of some of those tangled roots because they all looked like art sculptures to me.
Brian: You poetic devil you. It was pretty awesome being there in person. I am sure you would have made fantastic tales of everyone of them. A great children's book, if nothing else!
L.D.: It did look spooky...like the remnants of war or something. They will definitely leave the roots there as they serve as a great habitat for fish when it is back to being a lake. The fish get food amongst the stumps and hide from larger fish, and breed there. If it was barren when filled with water again from the rivers, they would not survive as well.
Bernie: Thanks...hope I am not boring you with all of them. I just had to take a ton of pictures there.
Sue: Most of the fish swim out as the water is lowered, but I guess some of the other animals were too slow. Those were the only dead animals we saw in the mud though, and we did a lot of walking around the dam bottom.
Ratty: Odd beauty indeed. If it helps you feel any better, most of the fish swim out as the water is lowered, back into the streams, etc. and these were the only bodies we saw and we walked around alot to examine the bottom of the dam.
Gaston: yes, I kept a lot of the shots in both their natural colors (because I loved the contrast between the colored leaves and the brown, drained, desolate dam) but my favorites are also some of the black and whites.
Interesting shots. I agree; the black and white are perfect for the subject matter.
ReplyDeleteWow! Your dam pictures sure are pretty! I love those dam trees and I felt so sorry for that dam victim, is that a lobster? Dam.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I feel like a 12 year old right now.
Photographyè heaven!!! Loved this series.Awesome, I've never seen anything like it!
ReplyDeleteYou almost expect to see houses appearing that had been covered by water and were home to the fishes...thanks for sharing these.
ReplyDeleteSandi
Eva: Yes, I love them in black and white too.
ReplyDeleteKearsie: Dam, you're funny.
Jientje: It is unusual so I was excited beyond belief when we got there and I saw the opportunity!
Sandi: True...I think it looks alien or something!
Thank you so much for sharing these photos! They are unbelievable!! I have looked at them over and over and can't wait for my son to see them.
ReplyDeleteThose stumps did look good in black and white! very dramatic photography! And such a contrast w/ the beautiful backdrop.
ReplyDeletePolly: Thanks so much, I am so glad you enjoyed them.
ReplyDeleteShelley: Thanks...when we arrived there, I knew it was a place I would love to photograph!
Glad you were able to see these before they were covered back up. And what great pictures to have.
ReplyDeleteAshley: So am I! I was thrilled to see the water drained revealing all the "art work". :-}
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog. We have a hunting camp on Prickeff dam road and have seen the lake like this before.It makes for a wierd setting as I am used to seeing a full lake. The pictures are beautiful.
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