environment
Quality of Lake Orange's Water / Wildlife and Recreation Opportunities
It is critical to maintain a high quality of Lake Orange’s water and to foster water management so as to keep the lake level as high as possible. This supports a wide variety of wildlife and enhances recreation options such as boating and fishing.
The Friends of Lake Orange works with representatives of Orange County, the Town of Hillsborough, the NC Department of Water Resouces and others to maintain and improve the Water Management practices for Lake Orange.
Wildlife and Flora at Lake Orange
Birds through the seasons
Certain bird species remain at Lake Orange year round and some visit at varying times of the year.
For example: ducks, herons, and Kingfishers are here yearound. Ospreys, eagles, cormorants, swans, and Canadian Geese visit our lake at diverse times of the year.
Many species of fish
Lake Orange has many species of fish with many a member of the Sunfish family. Anglers will find largemouth and smallmouth bass as well as bluegill and others.
Grass eating carp have been introduced to Lake Orange in an effort to eliminate Hydrilla which otherwise has proven to be a problem to navigation.
Small lake animals
Besides fish, there is a wide sprectrum of other types of animals that live in and around the freshwater habitat of a lake. These include snakes and mammals like beavers and muskrats plus very small animals such as salamanders and snails. Insect life in and near lakes includes water bugs, dragonflies and water beetles
Lake based plant life
There are many plants growing along and in Lake Orange. Hydrilla, which is considered invasive, has been dominate at times in the past but largly controlled now as a consequence of the introduction of grass eating carp. There was a serious presence of American Lotus in the most northern reach of the lake. This has retreated completely at this point in time.