Field Study #2

On Saturday, April 2nd, I set out to observe Capitol Lake. It was a beautiful sunny day, 60 degrees and hardly any clouds. As I crossed the street and began walking toward the lake and the park, I noticed a man sitting at a table talking to people. When I got closer I noticed he had a big map, and he was talking about the lake. I stood by the table as he talked to a mother and her kids about the idea to turn Capitol Lake into a dual estuary/lake. City, state, and tribal government departments cannot come to a consensus on what should become of Capitol Lake, but the man with the DELI plan thinks this would be a happy medium. I hadn’t had a chance prior to this encounter to research the pros and cons of any changes to the Lake, but this encounter certainly framed the next part of my observations.

Around 2:04 pm that day I sat down at the cement steps along the East side of the lake. Behind me was a pathway and benches, and an open grassy area. Families were there to walk their dogs and children, friends and couples sat on benches and chatted. Directly in front of me was a black chainlink fence, fencing off the cement from a short beach of tall grasses and rocks that met the lake’s edge. The rustling of the dry grasses and the ducks that came and went on the water’s surface made me feel like I was viewing a true nature area, untouched by humans. But by focusing my eyes further across the lake I could see cars drive across Deschutes Parkway. This was definitely the first time I saw the Lake seem like it interacted with nature.

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2 Responses

  1. farnic30 says:

    Awesome story! It definitely reeled me into the post. Sounds like a really interesting topic of research.

  2. barwil26 says:

    Interesting encounter. What we’ve been researching may also delve into his findings. Good observations. I feel as if I am there with you! Nice mix of people and nature interactions. What did it smell like?

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