Trying to sort out what makes a body of
water a “reservoir, a “lake,” or a “pond” may require the skills
of an attorney who also has a degree in limnology.
Making matters even more confusing for
the layperson is “limnology,” which itself is derived from
another set of Greek words for “lake” and “knowledge.”
Thus, limnology is the study of inland
freshwater entities, be they lakes, reservoirs or ponds.
Which brings us back to Square One,
that being, when exactly is a body of freshwater a pond, lake or
reservoir?
Unfortunately an easy, cut-and-dried
answer is not readily available. It seems to be a matter of who is
asking and who is answering.
Ponds – or so goes the thinking of
some limnologists - is a body of freshwater of either 5 acres or less, 10
to 12 acres or less, or 20 acres or less, and then often constructed
by humans (“Granger's Pond”) or by an animal (a “beaver pond”).
Making matters more confusing, in most
New England states - such as Maine - natural lakes are called
“ponds.”
And the word “pond” comes from the
Old English word “pound,” meaning a confined enclosure, fitting
for a body of water of any size, come to think of it, really.
As for what constitutes a “lake,”
the very root of that term (or “etymology,” the study of words)
comes from Middle English and means, well, a “lake,” but
also a “pond” or a “waterway.”
Regarding the distinction of what makes
one body of water a reservoir and another a lake is similarly
shrouded in ambiguity.
Though many limnologists say that
large, man-made reservoirs are lakes and thus also a term used by
many political entities, others say “no;” that lakes are natural while
reservoirs are contrived waterways contained by some form of
constructed artifact: I.E., a dam.
An argument in favor of a reservoir
being called a reservoir and not a lake is contained wholly within
the word's etymological beginnings. In short, “reservoir” is
French in origin and means “storehouse.”
Obviously that is an appropriate
definition since reservoirs are by their nature storehouses of water
for one reason or another.
All of which begs the question, is it
proper to interchangeably use “Pymatuning Lake” for “Pymatuning
Reservoir,” or “LaDue Lake” (which hardly anyone ever uses)
instead of “LaDue Reservoir” (which virtually everyone uses)?
And why not also say “Punderson
Reservoir” instead of “Punderson Lake,” which (again) virtually
everyone uses in describing this 100-acre Ice Age kettle lake (oops
“pond” if it were in Maine)?
The answer then is to use whatever the
locals or owners of the waterways deem appropriate.
Consequently, Lake Metroparks is just
as correct in saying “Hidden Lake” for its 9.2-acre constructed
body of water in Leroy Township as it is in saying “Granger's Pond”
for the agency's 34-acre pond/lake/reservoir found within Mentor's
Veteran Park.
Oh, and even though Granger's Pond is nearly four time
larger than Hidden Lake.
Toe-may-toe or toe-mah-toe, the choice
is the beholder's to use, though just make sure it has lots of
fishes.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
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