EPA National Lakes Survey, Summer 2007 - Photo "Swofford Pond toward Rainier"

A view of Swofford Pond in Lewis County, July 5, 2007.  This was one of the 30 randomly-selected lakes the Department of Ecology sampled in 2007 as part of EPA’s Survey of the Nation’s Lakes.  The aquatic plant in the foreground is Brasenia schreberi, commonly called watershield.  This is a native plant that has been used for food and medicinal purposes by Native Americans.  It is sometimes confused with the non-native fragrant waterlily (Nymphaea odorata) or some floating leaf pondweeds (Potamogeton spp.) but only watershield has a slimy coating on the underside of its leaf.