Lakeville

Lakeville is a town in the Troubled World. It is currently the second largest by population but one of the smallest by area size. It is a representative democracy with a mayor as the head executive and is an active member of Parliament. The current mayor is TheHolyCrow and has lead the town since its founding.

Description
Lakeville is a settlement on the shore of Round Lake. It currently has a population of 11 and is one of the largest settlements in the Troubled World. It was founded on April 11th by nomads traveling from Haraway in the search for a new location to settle. The town is known for its beautiful climate and its plentiful resources such as Oak and Iron. Adjacent to Lakeville is Mount Skylight. Skylight provides great views of the lake and is where the nomads first sighted the spot to settle. "Below us lies a great lake with shores so plentiful in resources it alone could feed a nation".

Members
TheHolyCrow (Mayor)

Adelaide610

barbh

Brtyler

candicekay2

chantel0223

dianachab286

lighting801

mlindaman110

oldmanbobby22

Shimanov

Town Hall
The town hall is the first building to be built in Lakeville. It was built with the only building materials immediately available and its simplistic design is still kept today to symbolize the simple start of the town. It consists of a main floor for general town business and an upper loft that the mayor occasionally uses as their residence. Underneath is the town storage which contains the town vault and all economic possessions and resources. The town hall is located atop of Crow Ridge.

Landing Dock
The Landing dock is the primary entrance into the town, travelers by boat arrive here and are treated by the beauty Lakeville has to offer. Immediately from the dock there are directions to different parts of the town.

Village Street
Village street is the primary business district of the town. Along its crowded streets you can find the Library, Town Cafe, Blacksmith, Mayors House, and Apothecary. The street is located directly off of the Landing Dock. On busy summer mornings the residents flock to the street to socialize and shop.

Tower Street
Tower street is a street that runs along Crow Ridge. At the end of the street lies the Old Tower, the second structure to be built in Lakeville. It is the military district of the town and it contains the Guardhouse and the Old Tower, which provides protection for the town.

Lake Street
Lake street runs along the shore of Round Lake, it is mostly undeveloped besides from a few residential buildings. Also along this street is the colorful Town Market. The Town Market brings trade and resources across the land to Lakeville and is primary area of non-local commerce.

Cascade Street
Cascade street is a short street that leads to the Lakeville Watermill, the primary source of power for the town. The street gets it name because it crosses crows cascade, a small brook that tumbles down from Crow Ridge.

Spruce Street
Spruce street is the primary artery of the residential district of the town. Multiple houses border the street.

Crow Ridge
This ridge is the highest point of the town and overlooks the lake. It is the location of the Town Hall and the Old Tower

Round Lake
Round lake is the most prominent feature of the town and Lakeville would not be Lakeville without it. It is full of clay and sand deposits and is well stocked with fish. Crossing this lake is the primary method of getting to the town.

Highland Forest
Highland forest is the large forest adjacent to the town. At one point all of Lakeville was included in the forest but development has pushed the forest into the hills. It is the primary source of wood and natural resources.

Mount Skylight
Mount Skylight is a large prominent feature adjacent to the town. It is said that the founders first laid their eyes on Lakeville from atop this mountain. It is covered in snow year round.

Crows Cascade
Crows Cascade is a small brook that tumbles down from Crows Ridge. The first half contains rapids that power the Lakeville Watermill. The source is a small spring on the side of the ridge.

Round Lake
Round Lake is a crucial part of the survival and success of Lakeville. The economy of the town is heavily reliant on the lake to bring in revenue. Due to its plentiful fish and beautiful scenery, during the summer months many tourists come to Lakeville to enjoy time near and in the lake. The tourists fuel Lakeville's economy by buying goods and renting out rooms in the town. Lakeville's planners are currently working on a way to set up lakefront houses along the lake which will be rented out in the summer months to attract even more tourists. The lake itself provides all the fish that are used in the local restuarants and many of the residents will either buy fish or go fishing themselves for their own food. The water from the lake is also the main source of water for the town. It is purified and then sent to the buildings of Lakeville allowing them to have running water. The lake provides a lot for the people of Lakeville and in turn Lakeville has promised to keep the lake safe from pollution and other hazards.

Multiple systems in Lakeville become vulnerable due to its proximity to Round Lake. Round Lake is connected to the ocean via a system of rivers and sea level rise would cause water to eventually overflow into the town. The areas affected will primarily be the lower section of Village Street and the Spruce Street. Thankfully the Town Hall and the Watermill are located further back onto the ridge and will be safe. Flooding would cause the economic system to completely shut down as the town market and multiple businesses are located directly on the lake. Spruce street is also located directly on the lake and contains multiple houses. This area of the town is considered vulnerable because if the water was to rise then the primary area of residence would be underwater. This would disrupt social systems and prevent residents from performing normal daily tasks. The local farm is located behind the ridge and that part of the economy is not considered vulnerable to sea level rise. The lake itself is also at risk to being negatively affected by the warming of the climate. If the water becomes too warm, the ecosystems of the lake are put at risk as new invasive species are likely to make their way into the lake and the current food webs are destroyed. This is bad not only for the organisms that live in the lake but also bad for the people of Lakeville due to a heavy reliance on the lake. This is why Lakeville has worked hard to ensure that we do more than enough to keep the climate from getting warmer.

Highland Forest
Highland Forest is another crucial part of Lakeville's survival and success. The forest is very large in its extent and would take days of constant walking to get from one side to the other. The dominant species of the forest are the same as any other temperate decidious forest and include many well known species like white-tailed deer, red foxes, pileated woodpeckers, and many others. The forest is also home to a very endangered species, that being the red wolf. Recently, it has even been discovered that there is a red wolf den near the town. Wolf biologists have been brought in to observe and study them.

Lakeville is heavily reliant on the forest. The trees from it provide the wood that is used and sold in the town but don't worry, the residents of Lakeville have made it a goal to plant as many trees as possible to keep Highland Forest flourishing. Numerous residents of the town rely on the forest to provide them with food as many believe in being as self-reliant as possible. This reliance on the forest is another reason why Lakeville works hard to be sustainable and keep the climate under control. If temperatures are to warm, many species will be forced to look elsewhere for a home and the climate in the area is likely to become drier which is likely to increase the chances of forest fires. If this is to happen, not only will the organisms of the forest suffer but the economy and people of Lakeville will suffer as well.

Fire risk: Moderate

 * Risk to vulnerable residents: Significant, the residents are not that vulnerable due to houses being located far from the edge of the forest, however residents that own business close to the forest or those that use the forest for foraging are at risk of losing business.
 * Risk to Round Lake: Low, fire hazards will have little effect on the aquatic ecosystem, although heavy smoke may block sun from reaching lake organisms.
 * Risk to Highland Forest: Very High, the forest can be obliterated if fires are to break out.


 * Notes: The town is not primarily forested and there is little fear of forest fires encroaching on the town.This is especially true for the majority of the residents as they live the furthest from the Highland Forest and along the lake. The lake would also provide the means to put the fire out if needed. The Highland Forest is the only method of a fire reaching the town and there is a large enough space in between to prevent spread. However strong winds or a freak event may cause the fire to spread into the town. If this does happen, it would be devastating to the town as the main building material is wood.

Flood risk: High

 * Risk to vulnerable residents: Very High - The majority of residents live along the shore of the lake.
 * Risk to Round Lake: Moderate - The lake itself will not be vulnerable but the lake is the primary vessel of flooding to occur
 * Risk to Highland Forest: Low - The forest is located high above the nearest point of possible flooding.


 * Notes: The most vulnerable people are those or live on Spruce street or a long the shore of the lake. The Economic system is at risk due to flooding because the Town Market and multiple businesses on Village Street will be flooded if the sea level were to rise. Social spaces and Daily life will also be disrupted as there will be no access to business and houses will be flooded.

Contamination risk: Moderate

 * Risk to vulnerable residents: Moderate - This only is an issue if farming expands for the town as currently most food us foraged.
 * Risk to Round Lake: Moderate - If farming is expanded than Round Lake could be polluted from uphill farming.
 * Risk to Highland Forest: None - pollutants will have no effect on the forest due to being uphill from farms and catchment zone.


 * Notes: This is primarily due to the farm being located uphill from the majority of the town. Manure and other fertilizers have a possibility of leaking into the ground water. This is not of primary concern however because the farm activity is not very large and the majority of food is collected from the wild. Also the majority of residents live on the opposite side of Crow Ridge from the farm and is in a completely different catchment zone. Crows cascade is also not feared to be polluted as its spring source is not located near any major businesses. The Watermill is located on the upper/mid portion of the brook but is not a major polluter as of now.

Geologic risk: Significant

 * Risk to vulnerable residents: Moderate - Located nearby to the lake which is also at risk but residents are not directly at risk themselvs
 * Risk to Round Lake: Very High - Located close to geologic activity as well as occupying a large area that will be directed by activity, such as ravines opening and draining lake.
 * Risk to Highland Forest: Low- Located far away from major geologic activity


 * Notes: This is due to the large number of ravines and caverns near the town. Although it is not known how much these ravines can expand, it is best to assume the worst and that the town would be affected. The ravines located on the other end of the lake could possibly cause a mass drainage of the lake if a large earthquake would happen and expand the ravines. This would devastate the town economy as it would deplete many of its critical aquatic resources. However, this could also provide an opportunity to collect resources such as sand and gravel. The risk of landslides is low as Crow Ridge was judged stable. An avalanche could cause a significant problem if it was to occur on Mount Skylight. The avalanche may damn the river and cause massive flooding.

Thermal risk: Moderate

 * Risk to vulnerable residents: Low - With the recent addition of shade trees in residential areas and located near a major water source, the residents have plenty of means to deal with thermal risk
 * Risk to Round Lake: Moderate - Extreme temperatures may damage local aquatic ecosystems and cause a collapse.
 * Risk to Highland Forest: High - High temperatures may cause forest fires which would destroy the forest ecosystem.


 * Notes: There is some Thermal Risk. The lack of shade cover in the town could make life very difficult for residents in heat waves and times of extreme temperatures. However there are large water bodies surrounding the town which would hopefully keep temperature slightly cooler during rising temperatures. However the temperature could reach a level in which the local aquatic ecosystem could collapse, depleting a critical natural resource of the town. The town hopes that due to the high amount of nutritious material in the lake it would attract warmer climate species. If this does not happen those who rely on fish as their primary resource would be put at risk and the town would need to provided resources to help.

Disaster Scenario
The worst plausible scenario to happen to the town would be mass flooding along with a forest fire. This would not only destroy the majority of the buildings in the town but also hinder relief efforts due to the majority of the town being located a few blocks from the shore.

Operation Mud Damn
Operation Mud Damn is a plan the town currently has to separate Round Lake from the adjacent river. This would be done by filling in the two channels that enter the lake with dirt and other materials. This would prevent the rising sea levels to enter the lake. To allow for trade to continue, a lock would be built through the damn.

Tree Spacing
This plan includes removing trees adjacent to the town to prevent the spread of forest fires. There is currently a buffer in place between the forest and town and this will be expanded to prevent a spread in the case of a severe weather event or high winds.

Stabilize Hill Slopes
This Plan included reinforcing the hills within the town and on the border with stone to ensure that no landslides occur. This has already be done around Crows Cascade to stabilize banks and has proved effective.

Underground Wall
This plan is to stop pollution of the farm from spreading into the heart of the town. This would be done by changing the course of the aquifers underground to ensure that the pollution is carried away from the town in a separate aquifers. A giant underground stone wall 6 blocks deep will be built.

Safe Water Acte
The Safe Water Act is currently a bill to prevent the construction of any further development along Crow Ridge. This would prevent the contamination of Crows Cascade and the residential water supply. However the mayor himself is conflicted on this bill as he has plans on building an additional Watch Tower on the ridge.

Disaster Plan
The town would have to relocate the residents to the top of Crow Ridge which would be safe from the sea level rise. If the Town Hall is not damaged then it would serve as a temporary disaster shelter. The Town Hall is effectively spaced from the rest of the town so it is predicted that it would not be damaged in a fire. The only other buildings along the ridge are the Guard House and Tower. These can also serve as relief shelters if not damaged. The Tower is mostly made of stone so it would not be damaged by the fire.