Lake Ella facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Ella |
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One of the fountains (September 2006)
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 Lake Ella
Location in Florida
Lake Ella
Location in the United States
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| Location | Tallahassee, Florida |
| Coordinates | 30°27′40″N 084°16′46″W / 30.46111°N 84.27944°W |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 12 acres (4.9 ha) |
Lake Ella is a beautiful lake located right in the middle of Tallahassee, Florida. It's easy to find, just off US 27. This lake covers about 12 acres (which is like 9 football fields!).
Long ago, Lake Ella was used for cattle. Today, it's a popular spot for fun activities. It also has three cool fountains and helps protect the area from floods. The lake even cleans up dirty water from storms before it goes into other places.
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Discovering Lake Ella's Past
Lake Ella has an interesting history! It was once known as Bull Pond, or sometimes Buhl Pond. We know this name goes back to at least 1867. Back then, some local churches held baptisms in its clear waters. In that same year, about 2,000 "freedmen" (people who had been freed from slavery) gathered here for an important meeting about their rights.
Lake Ella and the Old Spanish Trail
In the early 1900s, Lake Ella became part of something called the "Old Spanish Trail." This was a very long highway that stretched all the way across the country, from San Diego, California, to St. Augustine, Florida. It was one of many roads given special names to encourage people to travel and explore.
On the west side of the lake, you can still see some small buildings. These were once part of the Tallahassee Motor Hotel, which opened in 1925. This hotel was built to welcome all the new tourists traveling on the Old Spanish Trail. Around this time, Bull Pond was officially renamed Lake Ella.
The small buildings that were once honeymoon suites for the hotel are now home to different local businesses. Also, on the north side of the lake, you'll find American Legion Post 13, a meeting place for military veterans.
Fun Things to Do at Lake Ella
Lake Ella is part of a bigger area called Fred Drake Park, which is about 6.5 acres. This park is a great place for many outdoor activities!
Enjoying the Park and Lake
- You can have a picnic at one of the picnic shelters.
- It's a spot for community events, like looking at the stars with telescopes.
- There's a paved path that goes all the way around the lake. You can walk, skate, or skateboard the 0.6 miles around it.
- Many visitors love to feed the ducks, geese, pigeons, and turtles that live at the lake.
Tibetan Monks Visit Lake Ella
Lake Ella has even hosted special visitors! On January 24, 2009, a group of Tibetan monks came to Tallahassee. They spent a week creating a beautiful and detailed sand mandala at The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science.
After finishing the mandala, the monks carefully took it apart in a special ceremony. They then brought the sand to Lake Ella. They believed that by releasing the sand into the lake, its healing energy would spread throughout the world. The monks returned to Tallahassee in December 2010 and performed a similar ritual with a new mandala.
How Lake Ella Helps Control Stormwater
Lake Ella does more than just offer fun and beauty; it also plays a very important role in managing stormwater!
Cleaning Up Stormwater
In 1986, Lake Ella got a big makeover. Workers removed dirt from the bottom, reshaped the edges, and reduced the number of pipes that bring stormwater into the lake. They also installed a special system that automatically adds a substance called alum.
Lake Ella collects stormwater runoff from a city area that is about 157 acres. In a typical year, the lake treats about 250 million gallons of stormwater! This is a huge amount of water.
How Alum Works
Normally, the lake holds about 27 million gallons of water. But during very heavy rains, it can hold an extra 9 million gallons! The lake cleans the water using an automated system. This system adds alum at six different spots as stormwater flows in. Alum is a substance that some communities use to treat drinking water. When alum mixes with the stormwater, it makes the pollutants (dirty stuff) settle down to the bottom of the lake. This helps keep the water cleaner.
Sometimes, after very big storms, Lake Ella can flood. This might cause the roads around it to close for a few days until the water goes down.
