So you have this incredible natural process, rare in the world that you personally are honored to experience and you decide to screw with it? What the hell for?
will Agree with you Diane I mean if nature decides that it deos't what a lake there and drys it out or lower the Water level and rise it Again then let nature do so I mean what about the dryed out salt lakes should they then try and recrate thoes as well
Because having a lakeside resort (and one this recognizable because of the movie!) means its hard to justify charging high rates for a lakeside cabin or a lake view room when there is no actual lake. When money is involved, some people could care less about nature. Once again greed rears its ugly head!
Just leave it alone ! We have a past history of screwing things up by thinking we know best but getting it wrong. Nature does things for a reason and it's not for us to interfere with things that are nothing to do with us.
They won't stop until they've done irreparable damage, you watch. I know some of these hypocrites; their desire for money and notoriety is far too compelling for them to resist. And when it tuns into an "unforeseeable disaster" you won't be able to pin it on any one of them. I guarantee several of them are drooling over the little " golden nest-egg" they plan to get out of this. If in doubt, go ask the Army Corps of Engineers how their little "canal project" in the Florida Everglades worked out!
Andrew Wilson Nature doesn't do things for a "reason ". Geological things just happen and it's not like this wise nature force oversaw any of it. Whether we admit it or not, we are natural too. Nature screws up plenty of things all the time. Let them have their stupid pond. It's gonna freaking all leak out anyway so who gives a crap.
The natural recovery process... using excavators? At least it eould have come back on its own eventually. But now when the water seeping thru new drain points created when material was moved creates a massive sinkhole and goes away forever.. all in the name of short term profits...
+FRLN500 Wildfires, floods, droughts, famine, all have been getting less frequent and less severe. That said, when they do happen, what are YOU going to do about it? Hopefully nothing, because if you try to screw with nature, you can make it a lot worse. It wouldn't take much to tip us off the edge and down into a full glaciation cycle. 100,000yrs of frozen solid, accept near the equator.
Are you really that stupid? We are part of nature. It is part of our nature to make change. Like trying to find cures for deadly illness. Or do you believe we should still be diying from typhoid. malaria, and cholera? Building cities is natural for humans. It is contrary to your belief about fucking with nature. But it is necessary for our population. If you think that means we have to large a population, then you should lead by example and leave this earth soon so as to diminsh the negative impact your presence here is causing.
Are you really that stupid? We are part of nature. It is part of our nature to make change. Like trying to find cures for deadly illness. Or do you believe we should still be diying from typhoid. malaria, and cholera? Building cities is natural for humans. It is contrary to your belief about fucking with nature. But it is necessary for our population. If you think that means we have to large a population, then you should lead by example and leave this earth soon so as to diminsh the negative impact your presence here is causing.
Are you really that stupid? We are part of nature. It is part of our nature to make change. Like trying to find cures for deadly illness. Or do you believe we should still be diying from typhoid. malaria, and cholera? Building cities is natural for humans. It is contrary to your belief about fucking with nature. But it is necessary for our population. If you think that means we have to large a population, then you should lead by example and leave this earth soon so as to diminsh the negative impact your presence here is causing.
It's been said, "History doesn't repeat itself- but it rhymes." Usually when we try to tamper with nature to make it more 'profitable' (yes Im going to use that word because here, you have to follow the money trail for the lake) it comes back to bite us. I wonder if they possibly considered that there is somewhere that water is going and filling, and that by depriving this ebb and flow of filling and emptying it, they may cause a catastrophe with some major sinkholes, if not right in the immediate area, then elsewhere?
Jyn Meyer ...Very brilliant analogy! It's as if scientists often forget one of their very basic principles- Every Action Has A Reaction! Some people aren't satisfied at all unless they are trying to "normalize" every single thing in this world. I would say that being unique is worth admiration, celebration and awe in this day and age of endless herds of sheep and follow the leader lemmings.
So do I have this straight? This lake and it's associated process/system are "unique in the world." But the property owners didn't like that it wasn't full all of the time so they hired these muckity mucks to muck it up? Hope they're happy with the results. I just lost interest in visiting the Lodge.
+SuperSnallygaster This is Terraforming at work. Much like the efforts to turn back the clock on CO2 levels in the atmosphere and to reverse the retreat of glaciers. Welcome to the brave, new world of our mastery over nature................
The lake is a tourist attraction people want the lake it's beautiful, it's part of Dirty Dancing and it would be such a shame for it to disappear also without a lake there is no baby lift.
Glacial retreat and CO2 levels are BECAUSE of humans and Mountain Lake natural cycle is nothing like that. Oh no, we have to plug up the holes so the lake doesn't drain (spinning our definition of "natural") and maintaining property values around it. FOLLOW THE MONEY!
well they kept messing with it and now the lake is gone for some time now. They couldn't just leave it alone and let it do its own thing , that its beein doing for 100's of years . Now the owners have no lake at all :/ Good job on killing one of the rarest lakes in the world
Feeling the same way anymore. In store right after Christmas and this woman jumped my shit. I asked her why. She responded. The way you were looking at me. WTF I told little miss thinks she knows everything. Your wrong in know way was I looking at you. She was late 30's. Me I'll be 60 in a few months. She's not the first to do this to me. I can't believe how hurtful, mean, plain out nasty the majority of generations below me can be. It's shameful how parents condone the way their grown children treat their elders.
I stayed at Mountain Lake back in the mid 80's. I've been disappointed with the lake's draining and made the poor and uninformed decision that I had no desire to visit again. ...that is until I saw this video. Thank you for making this and posting it.
“It’s unique in the world” ... “so we decided to change what Mother Nature is doing” Ok.... so there is something unique and the first instinct is to change it? Ummmm....
I do miss the old lake. I only got to see it once when it was full. Then, later, I saw it when it looked like it would make it back--probably 2/3 to 3/4 full. And then it drained again. There used to be a website where you could check on the lake level, but I think it became so depressing that the people running it (the lodge?) abandoned it.
Why not just leave the lake alone? There is so much talk about not interfering with nature - and yet, they are doing stuff to this unique lake that has apparently naturally come and gone for hundreds of years? Really? Leave it the heck alone! Who know what purpose this lake coming and going serves. Unbelievable. So screwed up.
Because it's private property, and they see $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Especially after Hollywood brought them "fame and fortune. And now their little "gold mine" isn't profiting when the tourists show up and see a dry lake bed. Rest assured, they wouldn't spend a dime unless they were convinced they could make a 500% return on their investment. It's called "venture capitalism", and they don't give a damn about the consequences beyond their own existence, let alone any legal statute of limitations on their liability in the event of causing a natural disaster. And don't think they haven't already consulted lawyers on that one! These people aren't stupid, just greedy.
So the lake gains water through rain and loses water through drains. They want it to fill? Plug the drains with canvas bags loosely filled with plastic balls. As the drain pressure increases, put a dye in the biggest drain to see where it is going. It's all reversible.
Exactly. They're explaining a "solution" without even saying what the problem is they're trying to fix. If the lake is suppose to be empty some of the times, why interfere in the natural process?
In addition, they have admitted they don't know where it ends up. It could be part of the feed source for Little Stony Creek, which feeds the Cascades farther down the mountain, which Is a public park in the Jefferson National Forest. It may feed an aquifer that serves as ground water for homes in and around Pembroke, but they have not found where it goes, yet. Suppose they end up shutting off flow to somewhere like that? Or worse yet, leave those unknown places to run dry? What if the lake overfills, and floods places that have never had water runover? I doubt that I am the first to think of these possibilities, and I am willing to bet any corporate lawyer worth half his retainer, already has. Looks to me like they are hedging their bets against causing any noticeable ecological damage, and are willing to gamble that should there even be any repercussions, they won't, or can't be held liable. Only time will tell.
Do you understand how RARE a lake like this is in this part of the US? Its a NATURAL lake high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Try & find a real lake not constructed by a dam near you... chances are there are none unless you live up north where the ice age left many. This is one of only a few in Virginia. Nobody who lives nearby wants to see it gone.
It is funny - all the intervention to "preserve a natural process". Natural processes don't require massive "intervention". This is to PREVENT a natural process from occurring. Nothing wrong with that, but the doublespeak is funny.
MrJeffcoley1 Not exactly right as some natural processes experience excessive actions not they wouldn't have without indirect intervention further up the line. For example the dust bowl could be regarded as a natural process, however it was made much more severe unnaturally. Unknown at the time or not fully understood some farming practices of the day contributed significantly.
Just a bunch of rich fucks worried about their property values screwing with a natural process. The so called scientists involved with this project should be embarrassed to be associated with this project.
Just leave the mountain and lake alone. Why do they thing God need or want their help in nature or figure out What he's doing. Just enjoy what he is giving us in the beauty of nature.
Very interesting video. Thanks so much for making it. I would love a followup! I just visited Mountain Lake Lodge July 4th weekend 2021. The lake was very low ... just a very small pond left but lots of small streams running through it. Was super interesting to see. For those that have commented but haven't visited, they are embracing the lake(bed) as it is now. There is a sign explaining the phenomenon of the lake levels and it's also in their literature. There is so much history on the property (aside from all the Dirty Dancing film nostalgia) and the lake coming back would be amazing. I'm already planning my next visit ... lake or no lake.
If I owned that property. I would have the lake bed smoothed out and sealed and refilled with water and stocked with fish. I would add the small sand beach back and have everything recreated to like it was in the movie. In doing so, It would because a tourist hot spot again.
CoonShoot Jesus loves you. It's God's creation. Sad to hear you don't feel the same way. God bless you. I pray you find peace in your life in Jesus. Hugs
Steph E You seem really nice and I believe you genuinely care about people's souls. That being said, there probably isn't a soul at all. And yes, God is most likely a figment of your imagination.
Womp Bozer. Talk about being nice and then kicked in the head. Ok. We both believe differently. You believe there is no God. I on the other hand, believe there is a God, who created all things. Yes, I care about people in all sizes, colors and religions, even though I may disagree with some of them. That is the human being in me. I believe in something greater, I don't have to see it to believe it. I feel it in my heart and in my soul. Maybe, some day you might come to understand what I'm saying. God bless. Hugs
Womp Bozer That is your choice to believe in God or not. There isn't much more to say as it will fall in deaf ears. Make fun of me, mock me. I made I choice over 20 some years ago. Glad I did.
Steph E I'm not making fun or mocking you, that is not my intention. What I'm trying to say is that people don't choose their beliefs. It was not a choice when I decided I didn't believe. Trust me, life would be way easier if I could convince myself that there was a god who answers prayers. Then you simply pray, and your problems go away. It doesn't actually work like that in real life. The only thing that prayer works on reliably is mundane events that happen on their own. Without prayer.
Nice video. Very informative and nice music choice. Finally, the audio mix was perfect! It was totally enjoyable to watch. Kudos to the producer(s) and production company.
Whoa!!! They all say at the start what the natural start of the area is, and even how the natural drainage of the lake is important in how it works to keep lake itself clean. Then all of a sudden everyone starts talking about this "great" idea to totally mess with that natural cleaning action as though it's a great idea for the environment, then they finally say that this idea of keeping the lake at an unnatural level actually belongs to a person how I can only assume had no knowledge of the natural order of this area. This is nothing more than a PR campaign for using the lake as a recreational water area, damning the lake and its surrounding environment to poor health.
This event does give you a sense of just how the "fountains of the deep" were opened up during the time of the great flood, as referenced in Genesis. What an awesome planet and God who formed it for us!
I live in a city that is based on its lake for its economy. I remember as a little child the water was clear. The lake is brown, smells like sewage and fuel. I hate how the lake is trashed. Now I am no “tree hugger” but I don’t think we should trash nature either. I think we should allow lakes to be left alone for some period after years of use by us.
"We are absolutely committed to continuing a natural process" by screwing with that natural process to keep the rich people at our lodge happy that there's a lake there.
Why is a lake in Virginia, being "managed", if you will, by a board of directors located half a continent away in Texas? How can they possibly claim to know what is best for the area when they are not there? As others have said, leave it be, it'll "fix" itself, just not on your timeline.
It's different, but not unique. It's called an intermittent lake. Normally these cycle with the year. There are actually quite a few of them world wide. One notable one is Lake Cerknica in Slovenia. You need a better expert!
Great idea! Let’s build a canal around Niagra falls. Don’t worry about zebra mussels and parasites or sea lampreys in the Great Lakes. Love of money ruins everything .
Whatever the natural cycle of the lake was doing, you have screwed it up totally, for real estate. Leave mother nature alone, what a stupid and selfish thing to do. You don't even know how many species of life you have extinguished by doing this.
they might as well just plug it up at this point. no sense in having a dry empty lake that never holds water. Most man made lakes are doing just fine these days.
+Man Eater This is not really a man-made lake, it has been coming and going long before the canal failure. Leave it alone, let nature take its course. There could be a unique ecosystem, in the surrounding area, that depends on the natural moisture oscillation. And, what are you talking about plugging up? A flood control canal failed and flooded the area, in the past. They repaired that, some time ago. For now, it is a slough that is in the process of evaporating. The dry lake was there before they were.
Birds and butterflies Rivers and mountains she creates But you'll never know The next move she'll make You can try But it is useless to ask why Cannot control her She goes her own way (Within temptation, Mother Earth)
So first you say the drainage system of the lake is a natural process that keeps it healthy (never heard a lake going dry causes health) then you plug up the "natural healthy drainage system" anyway so it won't dry up. This makes no sense. Also, didn't these efforts fail anyway, and now it's dried up again?
Notice how they make this all OK with words. We are just speeding up mature. Then they keep on saying what they are doing is natural. These people can not know how this changes things. By speeding things up you could washout an unknown passage and wind up with no lake. If you will notice all the talking is by persons that look like They've never been out in N nature.
Lake Cerknica in Slovenia, 38 square km (15 square miles). Six months full, six months empty, every year. They organize traditional fish rescue mission every year before the lake vanishes. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Cerknica
It kinda is broken, it drained in less than 30 days and takes like 50 years to refill. and they said it started to refill and drained again. sounds broken to me. Yeah maybe it will fix itself in several hundred years but lets face it, that's to long to wait.
From 2:58 it's just straight up "ruining" the nature cycle. Wtf did you mean by "speeding" up the process!? So basically they want to make a lake/dam for a lodge... What in the actual fuck. + If you're seeing this video in 2018. Search on the map (Google Maps) where the lake is & I can tell you that the lake is vanished.
There is another lake in NC called lake James that was very low a few years ago. I haven't been up there to see what the levels a r e now. But water was a good 50 ft. From shore line. I wonder if this one does the same thing. Never mind I looked it up. Its controlled by duke energy's dam.
Worth posting again after reading posts, LAKE IS DRY, hopefully it removed the thousands of soil and rock those massive excavators dug out of sides, creating steeper sides that erode faster and probably exposed rock strata that drain the lake, that was undoubtedly the "surprise" side holes they found limited lake filling to only 2/3 what nature could do. Now the lake will never refill properly, it's upper reaches by the lodge will continue to fill in as vegetation grows and dies and collects. Brilliant. You DESTROYED all chance of the lodge having a lake front. You only hired "the best people" I bet, avoiding anyone that might changeling your boards "GET IT FILLED" order. It's obvious from Google Earth that the "Board" could have developed a smaller shallow recreational pond with sealed clay bottom that would still have been acres big with full eco system to self maintain it and drain that and it's silt into natural lake for mother nature to deal with as it has for tens of thousands of years. From other comments but not cked this looks like rich folk far away investing in distressed real estate with intent to scam for money, knowing lake was cyclical but planning to do whatever was needed once resort built out using cost and jobs as defense, setting it up as non profit of some sort to shield them from taxes (they can make money by "board" salary - being non profit just means you spend all your money and over paying execs is old trick for "profit making" non profit.} This video reeks of cover up. If this is a well meaning operation, then amend this video, put on your website you made a mistake, you hired a new engineering co to do a sustainable recreational pond whose permanent water spot will also help local and migrating water fowl, and you've engaged Green Peace or Sierra Club to supervise the design and construction via a generous one time donation so they won't think of looking the other way to get another donation Full disclosure I'm a construction specialist - not lakes though - telling people what was wrong and all the different ways of fixing it even improving it so my comments might be construed as fishing for work
Mountain Lake is not the "only lake on the planet" that does this like the narrator suggests. Lost Lake in Central Oregon does this same thing. Gone then reappears.
Another of Nature's great mysteries, leave it alone. Enjoying it is far better than building a lodge, parking areas, roads, landscaping (?) it into a future eye sore.
Instead of having the "natural process" to refill the lake which could take anywhere from 40-120 years, they decided to intervene and speed up the process. Plugging up the holes which would've happened naturally won't have any negative effect guys. They are literally just speeding up the process.
So you lost the lake. Build a pool! Private hot tubs? Why not sell your lodge with a stage production of Dirty Dancing, memorabilia and have Newman give tours with his bullhorn, rather than screw with nature. People will definitely go. I would.
All I heard 'this natural process takes way too long, we want the lake back NOW AND IT WILL NEVER DRAIN AGAIN. This should help rake in tourism moolah'
There's a really awesome video on Mountain Lake Lodge's website of an interview with the Lodge manager and Mrs. Moody in the 60s. The Lodge manager mentions that they used to bring trout in to the lake.
