Changes at Home

Monterey Rock, Janesville, Wisconsin. 2/29/2020 dwm photo

When I returned to Janesville a couple weeks ago, I checked out Monterey Rock.

In 2018, the dam at Monterey was removed.  It was a controversial move that changed the landscape.  The biggest change around the Rock was eliminating a shallow lagoon and creating a peninsula for the point of land where the "Big Rock" and its cave stood. 

My first look after the demolition wasn't favorable.  When I returned it looked better.  There is a path along the bank and an area for run-off that flows by the Rock to the river.

The "new" Rock River flows past
Big Rock. 2/29/2020 (dwm)

It is the geologic feature most associated with Janesville and Rock County.  Prior to European settlement, Native Americans used the Rock as a landmark in their travels (follow the link above for information from the Rock County Historical Society).

As a kid, my dad and I fished a few times downstream from the dam.  The company where he worked was nearby and we would try damp balls of Wheaties as catfish bait.  I don't think we caught anything on cereal and have no idea who suggested fishing with Wheaties in the first place.

A Bald Eagle nest high above the
river. 2/29/2020 dwm photo

After getting some pictures, I noticed two men in waders 15 feet off shore in the river with rakes.  At least that's what it looked like, I have no explanation for that unless there might be treasure or artifacts they were seeking.

"This is my tree."
2/29/2020 (dwm)

Less than a half-mile east, I saw something I never expected in Janesville.  A large eagle nest.  That guess was confirmed when I saw the large bird roosting high in a tree nearby.

I waited patiently, camera at the ready, to see if he might fly.  He didn't move, and he kept track of me on the opposite side of the river.

I don't have strong feelings about the Rock and the removal of the dam, but think it is very cool my old hometown has a nesting pair of Bald Eagles.