Messalonskee Lake

Messalonskee Lake is a body of water in the Belgrade Lakes region of Maine. It is bordered by the towns of Oakland, Sidney, and Belgrade. The lake is a 9 mile long, narrow, natural creation, resulting from continental collision and glacial scouring. A dam originally built in the town of Oakland in 1905 increased the lake's size.

Messalonskee Lake
Snow Pond
Postcard view
LocationBelgrade Lakes Region, Maine
Coordinates44.48°N 69.79°W / 44.48; -69.79
TypeDimictic, marginally eutrophic
Primary inflowsBelgrade Stream
Primary outflowsMessalonskee Stream
Catchment area177 sq mi (460 km2)
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length8.3 mi (13.4 km)
Max. width1.4 mi (2.3 km)
Surface area1,419 ha (3,510 acres)
Average depth33 ft (10 m)
Max. depth113 ft (34 m)
Water volume110,427 acre⋅ft (136,210,000 m3)
Residence time0.63 years
Shore length130 mi (48 km)
Surface elevation234 ft (71 m)
Frozen
  • Ice-Out
  • Earliest: Mar 31, 1985
  • Latest: May 7, 1940
Islands
  • Blake
  • Brown
  • Greeley
  • Midway
Settlements
References[1][2][3]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

In the first part of the 20th century, Messalonskee Stream provided waterpower for Oakland's Cascade Woolen Mill, as well as for a number of factories responsible for Oakland's long-defunct title as "axehead capital of the world."

Messalonskee Lake is home to a great variety of wildlife, including great blue herons, bass, yellow perch, white perch, sunfish, painted and snapping turtles, loons, and occasionally Bald Eagles can be seen soaring above the lake. The surrounding community has recently formed the Messalonskee Lake Association in the interest of its protection and preservation.

Like some Maine lakes, Messalonskee Lake has seen infestations of Milfoil.[4]

The lake is also more commonly called "Snow Pond", a reference to Philip Snow who settled in the area in 1774.[5]

Many summer camps and related tourist accommodations are located on Messalonskee Lake, among them the New England Music Camp, which was founded in 1937.

References
  1. "Historical Ice-Out Dates for 29 Lakes in New England" (PDF). Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  2. "Maine Lakes: Geographic & Morphometric Information". Maine Dept. Environmental Protection, Maine Dept. Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Maine Office of GIS, Augusta, Maine. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  3. "Land Use Patterns in Relation to Lake Water Quality in the Messalonskee Lake Watershed" (PDF). Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-05-04. Retrieved 2008-10-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Messalonskee Lake Association Milfoil Program
  5. Henry D. Kingsbury; Simeon L. Deyo (1892). Illustrated History of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1799-1892. H.W. Blake & Company. pp. 994–996.
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