Before the Big Bog: One Big Lake

Before the Big Bog: One Big Lake. . , Can you imagine the waves on a lake this size?, If you visited this region 10,000 years ago, the sight of Glacial Lake Agassiz would have astounded you! Covering 200,000 square miles, spanning numerous present-day states and provinces, this ancient lake set the stage for the formation of the Big Bog., West of here, in the Red River Valley, the lake was almost 200 feet deep. Over hundreds of years, lake sediments there accumulated to form deep, rich soils., But here, Glacial Lake Agassiz was shallow. Its waves and currents whipped up sediments and kept them from settling on the lake bottom., The lake drained northward beginning 10,000 years ago, leaving behind poor soils and a flattened lakebed edged with long sand and gravel beach ridges. The land drains very slowly to this day., Five thousand years ago, the climate became cooler and wetter. Sphagnum moss thrived and spread in the nutrient-poor environment. Layers of dead moss formed peatlands, and the Big Bog began., Sphagnum Moss and Spring Peeper , Today, sphagnum moss is the bog's most important plant. It creates the living conditions for all other plants and animals., Evidence of Glaciers: Red Lakes and Ponemah Point , Both Upper and Lower Red Lakes are remnants of Glacial Lake Agassiz. Ponemah Point was formed as the glaciers formed rock and gravel into hils, or glacial kames.