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. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
in Southeastern
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
.
Description
The lake lies on the South Fork of the
Zumbro River
The Zumbro River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota in the United States. It is longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, access ...
, about one-half mile north of downtown
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
.
The electrical power plant operated by
Rochester Public Utilities
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
* Rochester, Kent
**City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
**History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
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''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild 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 America, and it is o ...
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.
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Reservoirs in Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
Lakes of Olmsted County, Minnesota
Tourist attractions in Olmsted County, Minnesota