Mill Pond in Winter, Oak Creek, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, USA

Located in a local park, the calm, placid Mill Pond is beautiful at any time of year, but it becomes particularly stunning in winter when the water flowing over the dam freezes into ice. The waterfall flows heavily after spring and summer rains, but slows down in the winter, becoming a gentle flow of water as it cascades over the rocks. This late-day photo was taken after the sun had disappeared behind the neighboring hill during a cold spell in January.

The Mill Pond falls under the jurisdiction of Milwaukee County Parks and is situated along Oak Creek, just before it flows into Lake Michigan. Once a pond used for ice skating in the winter and fishing in the summer, at 175 years old, it is in dire need of repair and revitalization. It was formed in the early 1840s to power a gristmill, but the mill was torn down in 1932. The remaining pond and dam have fallen into neglect, and their future is in peril. Its future is currently being debated, with two options: dredging the pond and restoring the dam, or removing it altogether and restoring the channel to a more natural state.

I typically support restoring an area to a more natural state, but in this case, a creek flowing through the trees would not be as picturesque as a snow-covered frozen pond with a trickle of water flowing over the rocks of an old stone dam. As a photographer, I vote for fixing up the dam. In either case, this view will likely not be available in the future.