Nature Journal

March 14


Taychopera is the Ho-Chunk word for the four lakes at Madison.  The city here, it becomes so easy to see, is like the rest of the earth itself – dominated by water and all the streets, bridges, parks, curbs, gutters, sewers and all else but an afterthought when considered it glacial heritage.  Monona is not as deep as Mendota – an average at forty-some feet deep – but it too is well carved in the 20 feet range.  Below Monona is Waubesa and Kegonsa; connecting all these the Yahara chain, including the city stretch between Monona and Mendota, what used to be a meandering catfish alley, then straightened for the sake of flow and boat traffic....at one point, in 1913, over 600 boats traveled from the Tenney lochs to Monona.  Millions of gallons flow through this cut each day.  What makes this spectacular is the series of 16 bridges that cross, the neighborhoods they connect, the shops and walking traffic along Williamson and past that East Washington.  It is a vital water path through one of the hearts of the city.  For this, it might well be considered an opportune interface between people and nature.  To take a quick pause over the top of the bridge is to begin to ponder the easy thought that Madison is water first and foremost, especially here at the isthmus connection.  The mind then is allowed to wander north all the way through Mendota on into the largest of the Dane county marshlands at Cherokee, the origin of the watershed.  It may drift south finally to Kegonsa, imagining further the hundreds of inlets, bays, creeks, springs, flows, marshes and abundant wildlife.  In short, glaciation has left us with the carving of an aquatic treasure that can be understood by exploration and furthermore preservation.  City leaders had known and acted upon this treasure from its inception and it shows.  Yahara Place Park was a German immigrant place for gathering to listen to music, play outdoor games, listen to live music, play billiards, drink beer, and no doubt watch children interact with nature.