Jason Grimes
palmettoreport@gmail.com

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — The Winthrop University Lake, one of many facilities at the school, is home to wildlife such as geese, fish, snakes and others, but it’s also the site of many important research projects.

The complex, officially named the Lake Area Recreational and Research Complex, is located about a mile from the main campus off of Eden Terrace.

The complex is next to the Winthrop Coliseum and includes the Winthrop Lake and numerous athletics and recreational fields, including the school’s well-known disc golf course.

Dr. Salvatore Blair, an associate professor of physiology and biology, says Winthrop faculty are working on a conservation project with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

“So we’ve had a recent one in the last two or three years,” Blair said. “We monitored water quality, performed fish surveys and initiated ecological enhancements to the habitat.”

Blair said Christmas trees were placed in certain areas of the lake to create additional habitats for forage fish, which largemouth bass feed on.

The project also included amphibian and reptile surveys conducted by biology professor Kiyoshi Sasaki, in order to evaluate population levels around the lake.

The lake is a public facility, so visitors are often seen walking along the mile-long trail surrounding the lake or fishing.

“It’s peaceful and beautiful, so it’s a nice place to go for a walk,” said Cori Walker, a frequent visitor who didn’t give her last name.

Calvin Walker, a student studying computer science, said the Winthrop Lake has a great community. “You can always see people walking around. So it’s a great vibe, I would say. The water’s clean—you can see it’s very clean around the area,” Walker said.

Blair said it’s difficult work to maintain the lake, as trash is often removed from the lake each year.

“We recruit biology students or anyone else who wants to come get their hands dirty and we usually come out with anywhere between 10 and 30 garbage bags full of stuff that ends up in the lake,” he said.

The complex is maintained by a grounds crew from SSC Services for Education, a contractor responsible for managing all campus grounds, including the lake and athletic fields.

“The maintenance of the lake is mostly making sure the area around the lake is accessible for the public and the university,” said Logan Zegilla with SSC Services, via text message.

“Keeping grass mowed, trimming back trees and bushes and making sure the docks are in good shape. Also maintaining a proper water level in the lake, whether with the operation of an over flow valve or a mechanical pump,” Zegilla said.

However, coordination with the university’s science department is generally limited, he said, but they do work with some groups on certain activities, such as maintaining clear access along the peninsula path and ensuring designated areas remain protected during research or university events.

Moving forward, the lake will continue to help those studying biology understand more about the world around them, while also allowing visitors to experience a natural scenery.