Geography 321, Chapter 5: Periphery of Madison

(https://socinnovation.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/madison-social-innovation/)

As from Chapter 1, Detroit’s periphery consists of the four lakes. Lake Mendota at north of Madison and Lake Monona at south are the largest water bodies nearby. Yahara river on north is major water source for Lake Mendota. 

The University of Wisconsin–Madison campus is located along the southern shore of Lake Mendota. In the early 20th century, Chancey Juday and Edward A. Birge founded an influential school of "limnology" there as a component of the university.

Much of the shore of Lake Mendota is lined with expensive luxury homes and condominiums. The banks of the lake also contain protected natural areas and parks, including James Madison Park, as well as university housing. 

The Lake Mendota used by surrender residents for recreation. The lake is filled with water sports in the summer, including fishing, water-skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, canoeing, wind-surfing, kayaking, and sailing. In the winter, sports enthusiasts uses the Lake for ice-boating, ice-skating, ice fishing, cross country skiing, ice hockey and snow-kiting.

The Lake Access Permit is required for all designated launch sites in the City of Madison, City of Monona, and Dane County Parks. Lake Access Permits are required year-round. 

(http://www.engr.wisc.edu/cee/cee-technical-areas-environmental-engineering-and-science.html)

Picnic Point is a nearly mile-long peninsula along Lake Mendota's south shore. It is among Madison's most distinctive features and the most popular destination in Madisonians. 

(Family photography, Winter of 1986-87)

Lake Mendota can be forzen at winter. Average duration for forzen Lake Mendota is 105 days and usually forze from mid December to early April. The record for longest day was 161 during winter of 1880–81. (Soruce: http://www.aos.wisc.edu/~sco/lakes/msnicesum.html)