Silver Lake is a small,

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mi ...

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

in Southeastern

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

Description

The lake lies on the South Fork of the Zumbro River, about one-half mile north of downtown Rochester. The electrical power plant operated by Rochester Public Utilities used the lake for cooling. Since the lake operates as a heat sink, it doesn't freeze in the winter. The warm water attracted a large number of

Canada geese The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), sometimes called Canadian goose, is a large species of goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North ...

that remain in the area year round. [The RPU plant has since shut down, and the lake now freezes during the winter. Rochester government has been implementing various plans to cull the Canada Goose population. These plans include egg oiling, which was performed by volunteers in 2021. The city of Rochester is also planning of replacing eggs with ceramic replacements in the spring of 2022 in order to curb the presence of the geese.] Public park surrounds most of the lake. In the summer, paddleboat and canoe rental is available. Silver Lake is the home to the Rochester Rowing Club, whose members practice there daily.

References

"Silver Lake"
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved January 2, 2008.
Rochester Parks
City of Rochester, Minnesota. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
Goose egg treatments
{{authority control Reservoirs in Minnesota Rochester, Minnesota Lakes of Olmsted County, Minnesota Zumbro River Tourist attractions in Olmsted County, Minnesota