The Fort Worth Fosdic Lake Dam Dead Tree Is Gone But Turtles Remain

The Fosdic Lake Dam Dead Tree, that had been marked by a Big Red X, for at least a year, maybe two, is now gone, with nary a stump, to mark its location.

After I blogged about it, I soon had feedback about the Fosdic Lake Dam Dead Tree and the Fosdic Dam Clearcut.

But that feedback led to another question.

The Dead Tree may be gone from Fosdic Lake Dam in Oakland Lake Park, but live trees remain growing on the dam.

We have added some mountain bike trails to the Fosdic Lake Dam Vision. It's fun to be able to jump in a lake after working up a sweat mountain biking. There are lakes in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, like Lake Joe Pool and Lake Grapevine where one can jump in the lake directly from a mountain bike trail.

But those lakes have snakes. Though I have swum in both Lake Joe Pool and Lake Grapevine without a snake incident, I have had an attacking turtle incident.

The turtle attack occurred in Lake Grapevine on July 12, 2002. I'd been mountain biking the Horseshoe Trails. It was over 100 degrees. At the end of the trail, by a boat launch, there is a dock. I jumped off the dock and started swimming. The water was not all that refreshing, more like luke warm bathwater.

I was about 100 feet out when a giant reptilian head popped out of the water in front of me. SNAKE, my panicked mind told me. I did not know I could swim as fast as I did. So fast I was sore from it for days. When I got safely to shore I was soon to learn it was not a snake trying to kill me, it was a big turtle.

They like to bite. That's why some are called Snapping Turtles.

As I pondered the Fosdic Lake Dam Vision today I saw something sunning itself on a log that may present a problem. A turtle. The turtles will need to find a new home.

It is warm today, windows are open, tomorrow will be in the 20s. When it is cold the turtles disappear. Does anyone know where they go? It perplexes me.

The turtles were not being as skittish today as when it's warmer. But the one in the picture jumped in the water when a jogger clomped by.