User:Gbashore/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
(Provide a link to the article here.)

Folsom Lake

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
(Briefly explain why you chose it, why it matters, and what your preliminary impression of it was.)

I chose this article to evaluate because Folsom Lake is a place by my home that I've frequented. I want to learn more about the nature around me and make sure others have the best possible resources to do so.

Evaluate the article
(Compose a detailed evaluation of the article here, considering each of the key aspects listed above. Consider the guiding questions, and check out the examples of what a useful Wikipedia article evaluation looks like.)

The lead section of the article is strong because it efficiently and accurately describes what the lake is, where it is located and some statistics involving its size. There is a fact regarding an advisory for the levels of mercury found in fish that feels a little out of place with the other information which otherwise seem to just be giving a very basic outline of the characteristics of the lake. The content overall seems to be strong as it goes back and explains the history of the lake while also mentioning much more recent things regarding the lake. It has a large section on the Recreation Area and what they offer which provides good variety. The wildlife section isn't more than a list of what can found be there. While this is good information to have, it would be nice to have a more in depth look at their interactions with other species and roles over time. There is also a small section on flood control. Overall, the information provided is strong but it could use more information, especially regarding the natural history of the lake versus focusing on the human recreation activities that can be enjoyed. The sources seem to generally be strong and come from a variety of sources such as the US Bureau of Reclamation, KCRA Sacramento News, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation. As noted before, some of the organization at the beginning was a little shaky but the overall sections were organized well and I appreciated the clear headings that made it easy to locate topics. It also could've used more visual aids as only three were provided, one of which was a map of California with a dot denoting Folsom Lake. The other two photos didn't show much and more vivid and diverse pictures would've helped paint a better picture of the lake. The discussion on the talk page was pretty limited but one person recently also worked on it for a project at a university. Overall, I found the article fairly organized with good content although it could have used more information, specifically regarding the lake's natural history.