Reelfoot Lake
Reelfoot Lake is a shallow natural lake located in the extreme northwest portion of Tennessee just south of the Kentucky line. Much of it is really more of a swamp, with bayou-like ditches (some natural, some man-made) connecting more open bodies of water called basins, the largest of which is Blue Basin. Until 2003, it was the world's only legal commercial fishery for crappie. It is the only large natural lake in Tennessee, and is the namesake of Lake County, Tennessee, where it is primarily located. Poor agricultual practices have resulted in the siltation of the lake occurring at a far more rapid rate than it otherwise should, as it was common practice for cotton and soybeans to be planted literally up to the water's edge. Reelfoot Lake is noted for its cypress trees and its nesting pairs of bald eagles. It is the site of a state park, and Lake Isom, a similar, smaller lake to the immeadiate south, is a National Wildlife Refuge area.
The lake was supposedly formed when the region subsided after the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-12, and the Mississippi River flowed backward, allegedly for three days, to fill it, although some scientists dispute the validity of this story. The observations of the few persons in the region at time confirm that something serious occurred in the Reelfoot area in conjunction with the earthquakes, and they undoubtedly resulted in major changes in the landforms of the area, which are very changable at any rate, as the area is comprised primarily of glacial loess. The lake is said to be named for a legendary Indian chief who had a deformed foot and was called "Reelfoot" by the whites, but this, too, is unproven.
See also: New Madrid Fault Zone
