Springfield, Illinois, is in central Illinois, in the Midwest USA, west of Decatur. It is the state capital and the county seat of Sangamon County.

The Sangamon River, which flows near Decatur and Springfield was impounded to make Lake Decatur. But the manmade Lake Springfield is a reservoir built by impounding water upstream of Spaulding Dam on Sugar Creek.

The water for the lake comes from rain falling directly on Lake Springfield, however, the predominant supply is runoff from the 265-square-mile watershed that lies primarily southwest of the lake, most notably from Lick and Sugar Creeks and their tributaries, that collect runoff water and groundwater from as far west as Waverly and south as Virden.

The largemouth bass are considered the top predators in Lake Springfield’s ecosystem, but even they can be eaten by aquatic birds like great blue herons. Is there a new apex to the food pyramid within Lake Springfield?

Unusual sighting intrigues officials, experts
By Jayette Bolinski, Staff Writer

Rumor has it, there’s sssomething suspicious ssswimming in Lake Ssspringfield.

But experts don’t believe there’s any reason to be alarmed.

In April, a woman who lives near Lake Springfield snapped a very Loch Ness-quality photo of what appears to be a large, yellow-colored snake in the water near the rocky shoreline.

The photo shows the snake’s head sticking out of the water and its body beneath.

Rumors have been swirling about the photo and exactly what kind of serpent is pictured. Some have speculated it is a python, but most seem to believe it is some kind of water snake that lives in the lake.

No one else has seen the snake, or at least had the presence of mind to take a photo if they did. As a result, City Water, Light and Power officials have no way of determining if the snake is something one would expect to find in Lake Springfield, or if it is something that doesn’t belong there.

Even snake experts are puzzled, mainly because there are only two photographs and the quality of them is too poor to make a positive identification.

“It’s tough. I really can’t tell what it is,” said Chris Phillips, a snake expert with the Illinois Natural History Survey in Champaign. Several people have e-mailed the photos to him, and officials at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Department of Transportation have asked him for his opinion on the Lake Springfield serpent.

Phillips ruled out the common water snake that is abundant in the lake. Lake Springfield is home to numerous northern water snakes, which have light gray or tan backs, brown crossbands and light yellow bellies. They commonly are seen basking on rocks or foraging in the water.

CWLP officials on Friday said they think it might be a yellowbelly or diamondback water snake.

But Phillips said a yellowbelly water snake is unlikely because that’s a southern snake that doesn’t come north except along the Mississippi River.

A diamondback snake still is a possibility, but no one can see the snake’s dorsal pattern in the photographs to confirm it.

There is one other possibility that hasn’t been ruled out – that someone released an exotic snake into Lake Springfield.

“When I first thought it might be a water snake, then people started saying python,” Phillips said. “I wasn’t even thinking of released pets until someone brought up that possibility. The photos I saw were so blurry, it wasn’t possible to make any kind of a call, even between something like one of our native water snakes and a python.”

CWLP workers have been keeping their eyes peeled for the elusive snake.

“We aren’t concerned, but we just want to get it out of there” if it doesn’t belong in the lake, said CWLP spokesman Ray Serati.

Steve Frank, one of the city’s lake managers, said officials have not activated a full-blown search for the reptile because no one else has seen it or reported anything odd. City employees who work at the lake have been asked to document any unusual snakes.

“If it’s a large snake that we can find, we’d definitely like to get it out of there if possible. If it’s one of the regular water snakes that hang around out there, those can be difficult to find,” he said.

“There’s been no positive ID on this, so we’re just looking. We take all our calls seriously, but we don’t have a lot to go on out there.”

Michelle Bodamer Nicol, another CWLP lake manager, said the snakes that commonly live in Lake Springfield are not venomous and are nothing to be scared of.

If anyone spots a large snake that looks like the one in the photographs, they are urged to take a clear photo and send it to CWLP. Having something in the photo to determine scale would be helpful as well, officials said. Springfield, Illinois, State Journal-Register, published Monday, June 25, 2007.

Search still on for lake’s ‘Nessie’
CWLP hasn’t gotten more snake reports
By Jayette Bolinski, Staff Writer

Published Sunday, July 01, 2007

Lake Springfield’s mysterious snake is still a mystery.

Officials last week said they have been watching for an unusual-looking snake that may or may not belong in the lake.

On Friday, lake manager Michelle Nicol said the snake – now affectionately known as “Nessie” in homage to the fabled Loch Ness Monster – has not reappeared, and City Water, Light and Power received no confirmable tips from anyone who encountered the same serpent.

“We’re still keeping an eye out for it and will for quite some time,” Nicol said. “If anyone sees anything, please take a picture and send it to us. And we want to stress: Please don’t dump your exotic animals or fish in the lake.”

In April, a woman who lives near Lake Springfield snapped a fuzzy photo of what appears to be a large, yellow-colored snake in the water near the rocky shoreline. The photo shows the snake’s head sticking out of the water and its body beneath.

The woman didn’t alert CWLP to the photo until a few weeks ago. CWLP asked employees on the lake to watch out for such a snake. The lake is home to numerous snakes, including the northern water snake, which likes to sun on rocks, hang out in the branches of shoreline trees and forage in the water. That snake has a light gray or tan back, brown crossbands and a light yellow belly.

Ever since CWLP learned of the unusual-looking snake, rumors have swirled about the photo and exactly what kind of serpent is pictured. Some have speculated it is an exotic python that was released into the wild, and others seem to believe it is some kind of water snake that is native to the lake.

Because no one else apparently has seen the snake, or taken a photo of it if they did, CWLP officials have not been able to determine if the snake is something one would expect to find in Lake Springfield, or if it is something that doesn’t belong there.

Even snake experts are perplexed, mainly because there are only two photographs and the quality of them is too poor to make an identification.

Nicol said that since the puzzle was profiled in The State Journal-Register on Monday, she talked to a couple of people who saw or heard of unusual snakes at the lake, but nothing could be confirmed.

“We went out Wednesday and looked around. I found three snakes, and they were all the native black water snakes. They were all around the docks. That’s it,” she said.

“We’re looking for a large snake, but we’re just not finding anything, and we’re not getting feedback from anyone.”

If anyone does snap a photo of an unusually large, light-colored snake in Lake Springfield, CWLP would like to see it. Springfield, Illinois, State Journal-Register, published Sunday, July 1, 2007.

Weird-Looking ‘Lake Snake’ Sought by Illinois Authorities
Springfield, Illinois—  The Loch Ness Monster it’s not.
But an unusual-looking snake spotted in a central Illinois lake has prompted excited speculation, as well as a search in advance of the upcoming Independence Day holiday.
A woman who lives near Lake Springfield took a photo in April of what appeared to be a large, yellow snake — its head above the water and its body beneath it.
Lake manager Michelle Nicol said the snake hasn’t been seen since at the popular holiday destination for Springfield residents, but authorities are still keeping an eye out for it.
Nicol also appealed for help in locating the reptile, which may not be native to the area.
“If anyone sees anything, please take a picture and send it to us,” she told The (Springfield) State Journal-Register on Friday. “And we want to stress: Please don’t dump your exotic animals or fish in the lake.”
Some residents believe the animal is an exotic python released by an unscrupulous pet owner. Others think it might be native to the region, possibly a northern water snake.
Either way, some have gone so far as to dub the mysterious creature “Nessie,” in homage to Scotland’s fabled Loch Ness Monster. Fox News, July 1, 2007.