Lake Monkey Business

Lake Monkey Business is a private park and lake not opened to the public located in northern Leon County, Florida and within the planned private community of Killearn Lakes Plantation.

History

Water Oak Plantation was the land on which Lake Monkey Business originally was a part of. In 1951, Frances C. Griscom sold it to J.C. (Bull) Headley of Kentucky who renamed the property
Bull Run Plantation. Headley made several enhancements to the property including a dam, a new brick mansion, bathhouse, swimming pool, and Headley's own duck lake which he called Lake Monkey Business. This was the last of Headley's land altercation projects "to monkey around with" - hence the name - which sought to attract waterfowl. There are 3 other lakes which he created by damming the feeder stream further up the drainage system. These consist (in order of drainage) of Lake Petty Gulf, Lake Dianne, and Lake Blue Heron, which then drains into LMB. These lakes would be drawn down in the summer by opening the flood-gates and the remaining fields would be planted with corn or other grain crop. The lakes would then be refilled by the autumn rains and attract many migrating waterfowl. This practice is no longer employed on these lakes, but remains common on nearby hunting plantations.

In 1964 Headley sold Bull Run Plantation to a syndicate of sportsmen interested in a recreational preserve. Kinhega Lodge was established and Lake Monkey Business remained. Kinhega Lodge would eventually become Kinhega Lodge Estates, Limited. In the early 1970s the property sold again to investors who developed the property into Killearn Lakes Plantation, a development of 4500 homes. [Paisley, Clifton; From Cotton To Quail, University of Florida Press, c1968, pp. 83-84.]

Killearn Lakes Plantation(local planned urban development) park, in Tallahassee Florida, surrounded by the lake itself. Its use is exclusive to residents.

Recreation

Playground equipment used to be present until it was dismantled around 2000. It remains a grassy isthmus with ample shade provided by many moss-draped live oaks and three docks useful to residents for catching various bream. The lake itself has a low population of juvenile American Alligators. State-licensed nuisance alligator trappers are usually called upon to remove larger alligators once they reach a length of four to six feet (2 m). Although it is reported that an 8-foot (2.46 m) specimen had matured there until captured.

The park is considered "well stocked" in that it supports a large community of largemouth Bass and various catfish. The lake is generally green in color with photosynthetic plankton and low in weeds due to invasive carp's feeding habits. The bottom of the lake is between 6-10 feet (1.8-3.1m) in depth and strewn with small branches and trees due to beaver activity. No swimming is allowed due to alligators and rare plankton blooms that have turned the water bright orange for months.

On the July 4th, Killearn Lakes Plantation puts on a fireworks display over LMB.

References