| Singletary Lake | |
|---|---|
 December 2007 | |
  Singletary Lake  Singletary Lake | |
| Location | Bladen County, North Carolina, United States |
| Coordinates | 34°35′20″N 078°26′55″W / 34.58889°N 78.44861°W |
| Type | Carolina Bay |
| Primary inflows | rainwater |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Managing agency | North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources |
| Designation | State Lake |
| Surface area | 572 acres (2.3 km2) |
| Average depth | 11.8 ft (3.6 m) |
| Surface elevation | 62 ft (19 m) |
Singletary Lake, surrounded by Singletary Lake State Park in Bladen County, North Carolina in the United States, is one of a series of Carolina bay lakes that stretch from New Jersey to Florida along the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Exactly how the lakes were formed remains a mystery. What is known is that Singletary Lake is not fed by any stream, but relies entirely upon rain.[1] Singletary Lake is classified as a reservoir by the U.S. Geological Survey.[2] The lake was established as a North Carolina State Lake in 1929, and it is managed by the adjacent Singletary Lake State Park.
Ecological Characteristics
editThe southwest corner of the lake is bordered by a bog, that is densely covered by bay trees. A sandy rim on the southeast side of the lake supports very little vegetation.[1]
Most bay lakes, such as Singletary Lake, are completely surrounded by vegetation. Trees and shrubs that grow along the shoreline reduce current and wave action. This permits sediments to settle and stimulate plant growth. As the plants die off peat is produced. The peat accumulates on the shore line and more plants grow atop the peat. The forest surrounding the lake slowly expands into the lake area. This reduces the size of the lake and eventually a swampy forest will stand where the lake once was. This process has reduced the size of Singletary Lake by at least 44%.[3]
Physical Characteristics
editSingletary Lake is the deepest of the Carolina Bays at 11.8 feet (3.6 m) but not the largest. It covers 572 acres (2.31 km2) with four miles (6.43 km) of shoreline. Since Singletary Lake is not fed by streams, and relies upon rainwater, the level of the lake varies with the amount of precipitation in the area.[3] The water from Singletary Lake contributes to the Cape Fear River. The water first flows into Lake Drain Creek, then Big Colly Creek, and lastly the Black River, a tributary of the Cape Fear River. [4]
The water at Singletary Lake has been noted to be acidic, with pH ranging from 3.9 to 4.2.[4] Singletary Lake is a dystrophic lake with water low in nutrients.[4] Based on data collected in 2009, the Secchi depth is between 0.6-1 meter.[4] The high acidity of the lake means that few fish can thrive in its waters. Two of the fish recreationally caught there are the chain pickerel and yellow perch. [5]
Species Found at Lake Singletary
edit| Species | Family | Common Name |
|---|---|---|
| Amia calva | Amiidae | Bowfin |
| Aphredoderus sayanus | Aphredoderidae | Pirate Perch |
| Erimyzon sucetta | Catostomidae | Lake Chubsucker |
| Centrarchus macropterus | Centrarchidae | Flier |
| Enneacanthus gloriosus | Centrarchidae | Bluespotted Sunfish |
| Lepomis gulosus | Centrarchidae | Warmouth |
| Lepomis macrochirus | Centrarchidae | Bluegill |
| Micropterus salmoides | Centrarchidae | Largemouth Bass |
| Notropis chalybaeus | Cyprinidae | Ironcolor Shiner |
| Esox americanus | Esocidae | Redfin Pickerel |
| Esox niger | Esocidae | Chain Pickerel |
| Ameiurus natalis | Ictaluridae | Yellow Bullhead |
| Noturus gyrinus | Ictaluridae | Tadpole Madtom |
| Etheostoma fusiforme | Percidae | Swamp Darter |
| Perca flavescens | Percidae | Yellow Perch |
| Gambusia holbrooki | Poeciliidae | Eastern Mosquitofish |
| Umbra pygmaea | Umridae | Eastern Mudminnow |
| Species | Family | Common Name |
|---|---|---|
| Amphiuma means | Amphiumidae | Two-toed Amphiuma |
| Anaxyrus quercicus | Bufonidae | Oak Toad |
| Anaxyrus terrestris | Bufonidae | Southern Toad |
| Acris gryllus gryllus | Hylidae | Coastal Plain (Southern) Cricket Frog |
| Hyla femoralis | Hylidae | Pine Woods Treefrog |
| Hyla squirella | Hylidae | Squirrel Treefrog |
| Pseudacris crucifer crucifer | Hylidae | Northern Spring Peeper |
| Pseudacris ocularis | Hylidae | Little Grass Frog |
| Gastrophryne carolinensis | Microhylidae | Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad |
| Scaphiopus holbrookii | Pelobatidae | Eastern Spadefoot |
| Plethodon chlorobryonis | Plethodonidae | Atlantic Coast Slimy Salamander |
| Lithobates catesbeianus | Ranidae | American Bullfrog |
| Lithobates clamitans clamitans | Ranidae | Bronze Frog |
| Lithobates sphenocephalus | Ranidae | Southern Leopard Frog |
| Lithobates virgatipes | Ranidae | Carpenter Frog |
References
edit- ^ a b "Singletary Lake State Park | NCpedia". www.ncpedia.org. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
- ^ "GNIS Detail - Singletary Lake". geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
- ^ a b "Singletary Lake State Park: Ecology". North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
- ^ a b c d Howell, Nathan; Krings, Alexander; Braham, Richard (2016-05-04). "Guide to the littoral zone vascular flora of Carolina bay lakes (U.S.A.)". Biodiversity Data Journal. 4: e7964. doi:10.3897/BDJ.4.e7964. ISSN 1314-2828. PMC 4911545. PMID 27350764.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link) CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ "Activities | NC State Parks". www.ncparks.gov. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
- ^ "North Carolina State Parks System Natural Resources Inventory Database Singletary Lake FISH". North Carolina State Parks System Natural Resources Inventory Database. 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "North Carolina State Parks System Natural Resources Inventory Database- Singletary Lake AMPHIBIAN". North Carolina State Parks System Natural Resources Inventory Database. 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)