Lake Quannapowitt

Lake Quannapowitt
Lake Quannapowitt
	Lake Quannapowitt Lake Quannapowitt
Location	Middlesex County, Massachusetts, U.S.
Coordinates	42°30′54″N 71°04′43″W / 42.51500°N 71.07861°W
Type	Reservoir
Primary outflows	Saugus River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	0.397 sq mi (1.028 km2)
Surface elevation	79 ft (24 m)
Dam	Lake Quannapowitt Dam
Settlements	Wakefield

Lake Quannapowitt is a lake in Wakefield, Massachusetts. It is one of two large lakes in Wakefield, the other being the man-made Crystal Lake. The lake is named after Quonopohit,^[3] the Naumkeag Native American man who signed a deed to the town that would become Wakefield in 1686.^[4] The lake is located off Route 128 in Middlesex County. In 1991, the Friends of Lake Quannapowitt (FOLQ) was founded, which is a non-profit organization intended to protect and bring public awareness to the lake, as well as its nearby public areas. Large amounts of tar were found in the lake in 1999, a by-product of gas manufacturing from coal.^[5] The lake is emptied by the Saugus River.

As of 2016^[update], two former beaches remain closed to swimming, due to the presence of arsenic, which was introduced into the lake in the early 1960s to handle aquatic weeds.^[6] Swimming in the lake is still discouraged as of April 2024^[update], especially during algae blooms in the summer months.^[7]

The lake has active populations of warm-water species of fish.^[4]

The town common of Wakefield abuts the southeastern shore of the lake. Located nearby the lake shore within the common is a gazebo locally called "the Bandstand."

Saugus River

Legend

					Lake Quannapowitt
					Lowell Street, Wakefield
					Main Street, Wakefield
					I-95/MA-128
					Beaverdam Brook
					I-95/MA-128
					Salem Street, Wakefield
					Water Street, Wakefield
					Mill River
					Hawkes Pond Brook
					US-1
					Oaklandvale Brook
					Prankers Pond
					Central Street, Saugus
					Elm Street, Saugus
					Hamilton Street, Saugus
					Saugus Branch Railroad
					Lincoln Ave, Saugus
					Salem Turnpike, Saugus / Lynn
					Newburyport/Rockport Line
					Pines River
					MA-1A General Edwards Bridge
					Lynn Harbor

References

^ ^a ^b ^c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Quannapowitt
^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Quannapowitt Dam
^ Simcox, Alison C. (2011). Lake Quannapowitt. Douglas Heath. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub. ISBN 978-0-7385-7389-2. OCLC 679919768.
^ ^a ^b Perley, Sidney (1912). The Indian land titles of Essex County, Massachusetts. The Library of Congress. Salem, Mass. : Essex Book and Print Club.
^ "Cleanup of lake funded - The Boston Globe". archive.boston.com. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
^ "Issues Background". northcoastal.net. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
^ "FAQ". Friends of Lake Quannapowitt. Retrieved 2024-04-22. Swimming is not recommended. Rinse pets off immediately if they encounter an algae bloom. Algae blooms in summer (green scum) will cause the lake to be posted by the Board of Health cautioning about swimming and contact with the water. These blooms may produce toxins that could make people and pets sick.