Please stop trashing Lake Wazee

[john j]

I know of a train car and a silo and barn foundation in Wissota. I have not seen them myself but visibility is about 6 inches even with a powerful light so you aren't gonna see much. I did some work diving in Wissota and visibility is absolutely horrible.

[john j]

You have my word that I will fight to my last breath any attempt to put any of that kind of junk in Wazee, even to the extent of spending significant amounts of personal funds if necessary. Not only is it bad for the environment, it would turn the place into a cheap tourist trap. If you want to see junk cars and planes, I can suggest several junkyards that are full of them and they'll let you in for free.

[LKunze]

John, I wasn't suggesting that I wanted to see cars and planes in Wazee. I was simply making a point that when things like that are put in intentionally such as in Ore Be Gone that they are cleaned and inspected so as to be "safe" for the environment.

[Gramps]

Diddo...I like Wazee the way it is.
Note: I would request that no one remove the infamous mirror ball or statues around it. There are some of us technical divers that enjoy viewing it as we make our way down. IMHO it is a tasteful and peaceful arrangement.
Plus, watching yourself and your team mates decend in the mirror image of the ball is SUPER COOL!

[LKunze]

I agree. Check out Doug's photo from the Wisconsin Scuba site. The pic was taken pointing at the gazing ball and you can see the reflections of the divers in it. It looks really cool.

[FMT]

So did anyone think that a "sexual toy" on the Madeira fell into the appropriate category? I didn't and was glad to see it was removed by someone but that is just one man's opinion.
Hey maybe someone "needed" that.
T

[jasondbaker]

Devil's advocate: Is it wrong to put man-made things into a man-made lake? Wazee isn't exactly mother natures little creation. It's a big hole that we blasted and carved out of the ground. If it is wrong to sink an airplane body is it wrong to purposely sink a ship?

[Skruff]

Devil's advocate: How about all the great wreck diving on Isle Royale??? Should we clean that mess up also??

Just thinking about how hard it is to make a judgment on what is exceptable and what isn't...... I agree we need to keep it cleaned up....

[Gramps]

I agree. Check out Doug's photo from the Wisconsin Scuba site. The pic was taken pointing at the gazing ball and you can see the reflections of the divers in it. It looks really cool.

[/quote]
Oh man, seeing that photo just made me want to go diving big time! Wazee weekend of 9/12-14....I'm there!

[RogueDiver]

I first dove Wazee in 1992 and there is no doubt that divers have had a significant impact on the trees there. If you could have seen the place then you know just how much it has changed. Back then there weren't even any fish since the county hadn't started stocking it yet.

I think there is a big difference between leaving a pink flamingo lawn ornament underwater and sinking an airplane or car.

I think that putting some larger man-made objects in Wazee would help save the trees and other natural features. Most newer divers are going to spend their time looking at a bus, plane, etc. and not bother the trees.

There are a number of places that have made this a staple of their dive experience. Places like Pearl Lake (near Beloit WI), Gilboa Quarry (Near Toledo OH), Oronogo (near Joplin MO) have all added underwater structures to attract divers. Hardly anyone dives where the cars, trucks, submarines, planes, etc. aren't. Wazee is much larger than any of those places and the man-made features could be limited to one area leaving other areas as they are now.

That's just my $0.02

In case anyone is interested here are some links

Pearl Lake
Gilboa
Oronogo