| Chesuncook Lake | |
|---|---|
  Chesuncook Lake  Chesuncook Lake | |
| Location | Piscataquis County, Maine |
| Coordinates | 45°59′14″N 69°20′27″W / 45.98722°N 69.34083°W |
| Type | Mesotrophic |
| Catchment area | 1,420 square miles (3,700 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 22.5 miles (36.2 km) |
| Max. width | 1–4 mi (1.6–6.4 km) |
| Surface area | 25,183 acres (101.91 km2) |
| Average depth | 40 feet (12 m) |
| Max. depth | 150 feet (46 m) |
| Water volume | 136,667 acre⋅ft (168,576,000 m3) |
| Residence time | 6 months |
| Surface elevation | 942 feet (287 m) |
| Islands | Gero Island |
| Settlements | Chesuncook Township, T2 R12 WELS, T3 R11 WELS, T3 R12 WELS |
Chesuncook Lake is a reservoir in Piscataquis County, Maine, within the North Maine Woods. The lake was formed by the damming of the West Branch Penobscot River by dams built in 1835, 1903, and 1916 respectively.[1] It is approximately 22 miles (35 km) long and 1–4 miles wide, with a surface area of 25,183 acres (101.91 km2) and a maximum depth of 150 feet (46 m). It is the third-largest body of fresh water in Maine.[1]
The lake was named "goose place" by combining the call of the Canada goose schunk with auke (the Abenaki word for place) to form Chesuncook. Henry David Thoreau visited Chesuncook (village) and lake in 1853 and wrote about its beginnings in his book "The Maine Woods" Chesuncook Part 4; 'Ansell Smith's the oldest and principal clearing about this lake,...' Thoreau observed no geese on the lake during his visit.[2]
The original lake was enlarged by construction of Ripogenus Dam in 1916 to cover Ripogenus Lake, Caribou Lake, and Moose Pond. The enlarged lake became less suitable for Lake trout because of fluctuating reservoir levels for generating hydroelectricity.[3]
The lake is on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
- ^ a b Mark Shanahan, "Searching for Thoreau", Portland Press Herald, 1997
- ^ Thoreau, Henry David The Maine Woods Apollo edition (1966) Thomas Y. Crowell Company pp.162,414-416&423
- ^ "Chesuncook Lake" (PDF). State of Maine. Retrieved 2012-12-30.