Wisconsinites seem to use the word "flowage" rather than "Reservoir."  Is flowage just a different word for a dammed river or is there some distinction? I've been pondering this for some time.

Wisconsinites seem to use the word "flowage" rather than "Reservoir." Is flowage just a different word for a dammed river or is there some distinction? I've been pondering this for some time.

Not really any different in the grand scheme of things, no.

I always wondered that myself.

I finally asked one of the locals when I was up there and it's just a difference of terminology - kinda like we call it "pop" while others call it "soda" and some call it "coke."

They call 'em "flowage" while in the sane parts of the world, we call 'em "reservoirs." Same diff.

Except for some reason, Chippewa Flowage has some creepy red tint to the water that really freaks me out for some reason.

I always wondered that myself.

I finally asked one of the locals when I was up there and it's just a difference of terminology - kinda like we call it "pop" while others call it "soda" and some call it "coke."

They call 'em "flowage" while in the sane parts of the world, we call 'em "reservoirs." Same diff.

Except for some reason, Chippewa Flowage has some creepy red tint to the water that really freaks me out for some reason.

A lot of WI waters are really tannic.  The Chip is one of them for sure.  Heck, the river all the way down to Eau Claire is tea stained.

I am within a stones throw of several of them and have never thought about it.  I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who was the local warden for many years and the question kind of stopped him too.  Hooligan pretty much nailed it, it's just a matter of using a different term for the same thing.

I feared I might get a lot of sarcastic remarks prefaced with "Well duh!" Here in Illinois, most of us simply call dammed bodies of water "lakes", so "flowage" always perplexed me. Potato potahto I suppose.