Fun Facts

Not so long ago the lake that is central to Paramont was an operational limestone mine.  It is about 35 feet deep in most places and has a maximum depth of almost 80 feet.  It has a series of flooded subterranean tunnels and chambers that are rumored to extend all the way out to highway 42.  Including these underground chambers, the lake is easily two to three times larger than what we view at the surface.  We estimate it to hold a whopping 180 to 220 million gallons of good clean water.  We have it tested annually and it is well within clean water standards.  Did you know that the quarry lake does not freeze in the winter?  The depth and volume have prevented it from freezing over in the past.  You also may be surprised to learn that there are standing trees completely submerged in the depths and that there are fields of rooted aquatic plants well hidden beneath the surface.  We also have resident and migratory wildlife present in the lake:

Wildlife Inhabitants:

Fish:

• Bass  -These are the predators of the lake. They help keep the population of bluegill in check.  There are Largemouth, Smallmouth and Spotted bass in the lake.
• Bluegill -We have a strong population of Bluegill.  They eat mostly insects and the bass depend on them for food.
• Catfish -There are many small catfish in the quarry, they do not seem to be thriving and their future and contribution to the lake is uncertain at this time.
• Grass Carp -These were stocked in 2007 to help control algae.  These fish are strict vegetarians.  They seem to be thriving in the lake and may grow to be very large.  They will not reproduce in the lake.
  
• Rainbow Trout -These were stocked on a few occasions, they will not reproduce naturally in our lake and have likely all been harvested.

Migratory Waterfowl:

            Ducks             Geese

            Swans             Loons

A Fragile Ecosystem

Anything that goes into the quarry stays in the quarry.  Part of the uniqueness of our lake is the fact that there is no stream flowing out of it.  Unfortunately, this means pollution that is allowed into the lake will collect and concentrate in the water.  Algae blooms result when nutrients, such as yard fertilizer, leaves and yard clippings, are introduced into the lake.  Too much plant life will make for an ugly lake, while not enough vegetation will cause stress on the fish population.  The lack of shallow water means the fish have to compete for very limited spawning areas, while lack of moving water prevents the spawning of trout and other river fish altogether.  So basically, our fish find themselves in water that is uncharacteristically deep, clear, and cool; it lacks sufficient spawning areas, and is almost void of shallow water cover for the young to hide in.  Yet, despite these setbacks, we currently have a self sustaining population of happy, healthy fish in the lake.  Our goal for now is to maintain this delicate balance of predator versus prey and aesthetics versus wildlife in the quarry.  It is and will continue to be a struggle, but we feel it is worth the effort.  This is why we have fishing and drainage restriction in place and why we hope everyone will understand the importance of following them.