History
Prehistoric
Originally known as Prairie Lake, Lake Lafayette is the remnant of a Pleistocene river delta. Water levels receded in the last ice age and the coast moved farther south of the site which became a river valley and eventual a tributary of the St. Marks River. Dissolution processes culminated in the formation of a large basin, , a major sinkhole is located in Upper Lake Lafayette just South of the Cody Scarp. The Lake Lafayette Basin is considered to be one of the premier paleoarchaelological sites in Florida. The lake area is surrounded by archaeological sites. A large number of Native American mounds surround the lake; one excavated mound is currently displayed at theEarly 1800s
The early settlers of Leon County called Lake Lafayette 'Prairie Lake' as it looked much like a prairie during droughts. The lake took its name from the Lafayette land grant, the township (36-square-mile tract) on the north and east side of Tallahassee that was granted by the US Congress in 1824 to General Lafayette in gratitude for his military services in the American Revolutionary War. In the late 1820s, portions of the Lafayette grant around the lake were sold and became plantations, each a few thousand acres in size. The20th Century
Lake Lafayette functioned as one hydrological unit until 1948, when the owners ofGeography
Lake Lafayette is fed by Lafayette Creek, draining a significant portion of northeastern Tallahassee; it has a drainage basin of approximately . The creek flows into a small reservoir upstream from Lake Lafayette, impounded by a weir at the Weems Road bridge, then continues into Upper Lake Lafayette. Lower Lake Lafayette formerly flowed into the St. Marks River underground, and inScientific
#Lake Lafayette has a surface area of and a drainage basin of and is classified as Hypereutrophic. #Upper Lake Lafayette has a surface area of and a drainage basin of . It's classified as hypereutrophic. #Lake Piney Z has a surface area of and a drainage basin of It's classified as hypereutrophic. #Lower Lake Lafayette (including Alford Arm) has a surface area of and a drainage basin of and classified as hypereutrophic.Recreation
Lake Lafayette offers several opportunities for recreation. Lafayette Heritage Trail Park is a public recreational park located in Tallahassee, Florida. The park offers many activities such as picnicking, hiking, fishing, kayaking, and mountain biking. The central feature of the park is Lake Piney Z, a 200-acre lake that is part of the Lake Lafayette system. "Two dams constructed around 1950 divided the lake into three sections, Upper Lafayette continues to be a wet prairie, Piney Z Lake is a 200 acre open water lake, and Lower Lafayette resembles a cypress-covered Louisiana bayou." The park has limited access to Lower Lake Lafayette, and is adjacent to Piney Z Plantation neighborhood as well as Tom Brown Park. The park is open sunrise to sunset. Fishing is a popular activity in Lake Lafayette. Most of the fishing opportunities are in Piney Z and Lower Lake Lafayette with the former being the most popular. Visitors have access to Lake Piney Z via 7 fishing fingers as well as a hand launch boat ramp. The boat ramp offers access for kayaks and small boats; however, the lake is electric motor only and all watercraft must be carried to the water by hand as there is no trailer access. Many local residents frequent the parks numerous fishing fingers in pursuit of the two most popular species at lake Piney Z; largemouth bass and bream. Thanks to efforts by the FWC, the park hosts a healthy population of fish. FWC officials have placed several vegetation patches and fish attractors throughout the lake in order to improve catch rates for fishermen and improve the habitat of the fishery. The lake hosts a very large population of largemouth bass with bass averaging on the small side in the 9"-12" range with the occasional bass surpassing three pounds. Bass fishing can often be fast and furious from shore when a school of feeding bass swims within casting distance. It was originally prohibited to harvest largemouth bass from Piney Z; however, harvesting regulations have since been changed to align with the current FWC regulations for Florida lakes. Bluegill populations diminished over the years when largemouth bass harvest was prohibited. Numbers are expected to rebound with the repeal of the largemouth bass ban and the annual fall stocking of bluegill in Piney Z.Lafayette heritage trail park
Lafayette Heritage Trail Park is a public recreational park located in Tallahassee, Florida. The park offers many activities such as picnicking, hiking, fishing, kayaking, and mountain biking. The central feature of the park is Lake Piney Z, a 200-acre lake that is part of the Lake Lafayette system. "Two dams constructed around 1950 divided the lake into three sections, Upper Lafayette continues to be a wet prairie, Piney Z Lake is a 200 acre open water lake, and Lower Lafayette resembles a cypress-covered Louisiana bayou." The park is adjacent to Piney Z Plantation neighborhood and Tom Brown Park. The park is open sunrise to sunset.Trails
Lafayette Heritage Trail Park has several trails that offer hiking, running, and cycling opportunities. A map of the trail system can be founFishing
Lafayette Heritage Trail Park offers some of the best bank fishing in the Tallahassee area. Visitors have access to Lake Piney Z via 7 fishing fingers as well as a hand launch boat ramp. The boat ramp offers access for kayaks and small boats; however, the lake is electric motor only and all watercraft must be carried to the water by hand as there is no trailer access. Many local residents frequent the parks numerous fishing fingers in pursuit of the two most popular species at lake Piney Z; largemouth bass and bream. Thanks to efforts by the FWC, the park hosts a healthy population of fish. FWC officials have placed several vegetation patches and fish attractors throughout the lake in order to improve catch rates for fishermen and improve the habitat of the fishery. The lake hosts a very large population of largemouth bass with bass averaging on the small side in the 9"-12" range with the occasional bass surpassing three pounds. Bass fishing can often be fast and furious from shore when a school of feeding bass swims within casting distance. It was originally prohibited to harvest largemouth bass from Piney Z; however, harvesting regulations have since been changed to align with the current FWC regulations for Florida lakes. Bluegill populations diminished over the years when largemouth bass harvest was prohibited. Numbers are expected to rebound with the repeal of the largemouth bass ban and the annual fall stocking of bluegill in Piney Z. Other species of fish that inhabit the lake include bowfin, gar, and crappie.References
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