Six Questions We’re Asking About Summit Lake with Local Ecology Expert, Mike Johnson
Environmental sustainability is one of the core pillars of the Civic Commons work. Over the past few years, community members and organizations have dedicated resources to improving Summit Lake Park, making it more inviting for residents and visitors through programming and beautification efforts. This work will continue and expand, allowing for more interaction with the lake and surrounding land.
The Summit Lake Assessment, created in tandem with many partners (Summit Metro Parks, Ohio & Erie Canalway Association, Knight Foundation, The Trust for Public Land, NEFCO, the City of Akron, and Akron Civic Commons), was performed to provide an update on the quality of Summit Lake. Results show that the lake is clean enough for a number of recreational activities.
The full report can be found here. But here are some of the highlights.
In 2018, Summit Lake was designated a Healthy Urban Lake, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources allows fish consumption
Fishing is allowed in Summit Lake, but it is recommended that you follow the guidelines set by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, for fish consumption. These recommend only eating the catfish once a month, and all other fish once a week. For more information, visit the Summit Lake Nature Center.
Canoeing and kayaking are acceptable with life jackets. Swimming and wading are not recommended at this time. Like other urban lakes that don’t have a designated beach area, lake bottom soil along the shore is mucky, slimy, and has some oil content. These conditions do not make it unsafe to wade, but messy for those who decide to put their feet in the water.
When having conversations about the diverse ecology of Summit Lake, we turn to Mike Johnson, Chief of Conservation at Summit Metro Parks and overall ecology expert in our community.
Here are a few of the questions we asked and Mike’s responses:
Q: Mike, if you had to explain ecology at Summit Lake to 3rd graders, what would you tell them?
A: One of the most important parts of ecology is geology, and Summit Lake is a geologic feature. It's a glacial lake. So, 10,000 years ago, this part of Ohio was covered by an ice sheet miles high. As it melted away, the glaciers left depressions in the landscape that became the Great Lakes, and some of those depressions became the Portage Lakes, and Summit Lake is a Portage Lake.
Q: What surprises you about the ecology in Summit Lake?
A: Ecology is usually dependent on a variety of factors, but simply, it’s the relationship of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings. It’s surprising, when you really open your eyes and look closely, there are a lot more natural resources and wildlife than people realize. In terms of the ecology of Summit Lake, we have a lot of amazing things like the rare warmouth fish and the hibiscus that clings to the margin around Summit Lake and blooms pink and white.
Q: Is boating or fishing safe?
A: Summit Lake is incredibly deep (some spots over 60 ft. deep), and studies have determined the water quality and the fish are quite good. It was really polluted at one time, and while we still have pollution, it's buried under decades of cleaner sediments. You’d want to avoid mucking through the sediments, though. So, it’s safe to fish or boat, but we don't recommend swimming.
Q. What makes Summit Lake so special?
Summit Lake isn't as clear as most glacial lakes, but it has an abundance of vegetation. In ecology, we say rare habitats equal rare species. Portage Lakes (including Summit Lake) were home to rare species, some of which are still there and some of which have been extirpated (driven from the area). One example is the Iowa darter, a small colorful fish that we're working to bring back to Summit Lake.
Other rare species in the lake include lake chubsuckers, western bandits, leaf darters, and blacknose shiners. The average person will never know that these fish are there. They are very small and you almost never see them in the world. While they aren’t edible, it's our job to protect and preserve all species.
Q: You mentioned you were working to bring fish like the Iowa darter back to the Lake, can you explain that process?
A: We’re working with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to breed fish we want to grow and maintain at Summit Lake. We go where they still live, and we breed and raise them in large, outdoor, square ponds. Then annually towards the end of the year, we collect the adults and introduce them to the Summit Lake waters.
Q: Why is this work at Summit Lake, and others in the surrounding area, so important?
A: We want to protect all wildlife. Species are like a masterpiece of art. Why do we protect and curate museums of art? It's the same. In the 1970s we passed the Endangered Species Act, one of the most beautiful pieces of legislation, because it says we're going to protect these animals because they have intrinsic value. We don't need any other reason to do it. But in that lake, it could contain an undiscovered medicine or product in any species. We might have a use for them someday.
Photos courtesy of Todd Clark
