 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Structures
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
||
|
Lake Sakakawea
 |
|
 |
Lake Sakakawea, in terms of surface area, ranks as the largest man-made reservoir in the nation. It has a surface area of about 368,000 acres and is 178 miles long, reaching to Williston, ND. Part of the Missouri River system, the reservoir was created in the 1950s with the completion of the Garrison Dam, one of six main-stem dams built and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control, hydroelectric power, navigation and irrigation.
 Sailing on Lake Sakakawea has to be experienced first-hand to be understood. It is a balancing act between what Man wants and what Nature dictates. When the wind blows strong, the stiff, triangular canvas of the sails snap fully to attention, and the boat gladly surges forward. Later, the breeze calms to a whisper. The waves flatten to ripples, and in response, the Captain orders a sail change to something lighter, larger, and fuller, to capture every gossamer whisp. In a fit of whimsy, the wind shifts direction, causing the craft to slow, until the sails are tightened to accomodate the change. We intend to make our port regardless of the fickle weather, made more so by the large bluffs along the shoreline. The bubbles from beneath our stern stir madly in the froth of our wake, a lazy white line disappearing in the direction from where we began that crisp, late summer's morn.
 The beach in the photo above is located in Fort Stevenson State Park. You can see many coal deposits, which crumbled away from the walls of the lake when it was created. As the water level in the lake has receded, the coal deposits, which used to be on the lake floor, have become visible.
 The photo above shows a detailed view of the large chunks of lignite coal, along with pieces of petrified wood, found on the beach at Fort Stevenson State Park. |
All photos are copyrighted Paul Nordmark, of Exterior Imaginations Landscaping.