Lake islands are land masses within a lake, and they are created in numerous ways. They might form through a buildup of sedimentation, sometimes referred to as shoals. Or they may have been originally part of the lake’s shore, and then became separated from it by erosion. Sometimes these types of islands become floating beds of vegetation or bogs. When a lake level is lowered artificially through damming, an island may also appear. Also, earthquakes, meteors, or volcanic activity can create islands. Sometimes lake islands are formed by the deposited till or sediment that becomes piled up as melting glaciers moved forward, which is how the natural lake islands in Kandiyohi County were created.
Geologists have determined that Kandiyohi County was completely covered by glacial ice through multiple glaciations over the last two million years. The retreating ice eventually left behind thick stacks of glacial sediments, rolling hills and 365 lakes. Some of these lakes formed as a result of melting ice blocks that had made a deep depression and subsequently melted (ice block lakes). Or a depression was created by the advancing glacier and the depression filled with rainwater or water run-off from the surrounding land (kettle lakes).
Some of these ice block lakes and kettle lakes contain islands due to the deposited till or sediment that became piled up as the melting glacier moved forward. There are not very many lake islands in Kandiyohi County, so the islands you see before you on Ringo Lake are somewhat unique. Perhaps the most famous island in the county is on Norway Lake. During the Dakota Conflict of 1862, several settlers from the West Lake community near Norway Lake were killed. Then, on August 20th, survivors from West Lake and other settlers from the Norway Lake area sought refuge on an island in Norway Lake. A crude canoe was used to bring the women, children, and meager supplies out to the island. The settlers spent several days there until a rescue party took them to the Paynesville area. The Norway Lake island became known as the “Isle of Refuge” and has been designated as a Kandiyohi County Historic Site.
To get credit for this earthcache, send your answers to the following questions to my profile page:
- How many islands are visible from here?
- How were the Ringo Lake islands formed?
- Do you think Ringo Lake is a shallow or deep lake? Explain your answer.