Sal's Site
Buzzing flies abound, it’s sweltering hot, and there’s construction cutting off the east entrance of Kauffman Lake. Maybe visiting here on a scorching August evening wasn’t the best idea.
But then I sit down on a bench near the lake and notice how peaceful it feels as the sun beats down. Perhaps the construction accounts for the lack of people, as well as the heat. A few people are fishing off to the sides, but otherwise it’s quiet.
Out in the distance, I see a spinning canoe with Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny, who are smiling and waving at me. Unexpected. Gotta take a photo.
Like all of Champaign’s parks, Kauffman has numerous amenities for people to take advantage of. The Champaign Park District does things right. I stand up and head toward a 2013 sculpture of a soaring fish by Jim Gladney, who dedicated his work to Braxton Gladney and Callie Gladney. Underneath the sculpture are wind chimes, which would explain the piece’s name: “Kauffman Lake Wind Chimes.” A bountiful flowerbed graces the front of the sculpture, which is surrounded by tall grassy stalks.
Some might think Kauffman Lake has an unkept look, but it would be hard to keep up with such a natural, earthy place. There’s food spilled on the bench I was sitting at as bugs attack the goo. Excrement on the ground is everywhere, probably from geese. The water has a deep brown color, and I don’t know whether that’s good or bad. But folks can’t swim in it for a reason.
And yet, there is beauty all around the lake. The circular two-level deck jutting out to the water looks like civilization within its surroundings and is spacious enough for large groups to kick back at. Canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards are allowed on the water. Kauffman is a fisherman’s (and fisherwoman’s) paradise with fishing-regulation signs all around, a boathouse, and a lake filled with bass and redear sunfish.
Michael Nichols, who has lived in Champaign for close to 40 years, tells me Kauffman Lake also has catfish, large turtles, and bluegills. Nichols has 12 children and 9 grandchildren. He loves coming to Kauffman every morning with his grandkids, teaching them how to fish as well as anyone else who wants to learn.
“A lot of people [here] that don’t know how to fish,” Nichols tells me, as one of his young granddaughters stands next to him. “I bring poles out here and try to teach everybody how to fish, especially [when] bringing the kids.”
A super-wide path encircles the lake, and few people are on it this evening — I see two walkers and a jogger. When I reach the north tip of the lake, I stop to take another photograph. I walk on and notice someone off path is climbing down — maybe slipping would be a better word — a structure with small rocks. I think this person might be with the two walkers.
Later I’ll see in the photo that with trees enshrouding both sides of the frame, the lake looks like a pond. Further on, the large trees and vegetation on the lake’s west side are prominent enough to block out portions of the water as I walk.
Despite the heat and a knee broken in three places that was causing his current unemployment, Nichols told me “it was a beautiful day” and that coming to Kauffman Lake gives him “peace of mind.” He used the word “peace” a few times when he talked to me.
An apt word for this summer evening at Kauffman Lake. I wonder how many people he might teach to fish tomorrow.