History Lake Lafayette

1 history

1.1 prehistoric
1.2 1800s
1.3 20th century

history
prehistoric

originally known prairie lake, lake lafayette remnant of pleistocene river delta. water levels receded in last ice age , coast moved farther south of site became river valley , eventual tributary of st. marks river. dissolution processes culminated in formation of large basin, 8,925 acres (36.12 km), major sinkhole located in upper lake lafayette south of cody scarp.

the lake lafayette basin considered 1 of premier paleoarchaelological sites in florida. lake area surrounded archaeological sites. large number of native american mounds surround lake; 1 excavated mound displayed @ florida museum of natural history. large middens on lake piney z, , temple mounds @ fallschase, of particular interest. native american settlements common in lafayette basin , hernando de soto spent first christmas in new world @ 1 of these sites.

early 1800s

the settlers of leon county called lake lafayette prairie lake looked prairie during droughts. lake took name lafayette land grant, township (36-square-mile tract) on north , east side of tallahassee granted congress in 1824 general lafayette in gratitude military services in american revolutionary war.

in late 1820s, portions of lafayette grant around lake sold , became plantations, each few thousand acres in size. francis eppes plantation, evergreen hills plantation , joseph chaires plantation grew cotton until 1860s.

20th century

lake piney z

lake lafayette functioned 1 hydrological unit until 1948, when owners of piney z plantation constructed 2 earthen dikes in middle of lake , turned central part of lake lafayette farm pond. more dikes constructed , lake further broken creating upper lake lafayette, piney z lake, lower lake lafayette, , alford arm. began process started lake(s) transform vegetated marsh.

of 4 major lake basins in leon county - lake jackson, lake iamonia, lake miccosukee, , lake lafayette - lake lafayette basin intensively developed; considered modified lake basin in of northern florida, since no longer functioning in natural fashion due human effects. lafayette basin once functioned temporary lake, lake miccosukee , lake iamonia water exchanged between lake basin, floridan aquifer (sink holes) , st. marks river through series of connecting sloughs.

lower lake lafayette covered floating islands of aquatic vegetation, called tussocks, root systems of decaying fragrant water lily, invasive species. these colonized aquatic grasses, sedges , small trees float around lake driven winds. can trap or crush boats, docks , piers.