| Spednic Lake | |
|---|---|
  Spednic Lake  Spednic Lake  Spednic Lake  Spednic Lake | |
| Location | Washington County, Maine, United States and York County, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Coordinates | 45°36′18″N 67°37′40″W / 45.6051°N 67.6278°W |
| Type | mesotrophic[1] |
| Primary inflows | Mud Lake Stream (at times also called the St. Croix River) and at least 20 other waterways [2] |
| Primary outflows | St. Croix River |
| Catchment area | 413 sq mi (1,070 km2) [1] |
| Basin countries | Canada, United States[3] |
| Max. length | 17 mi (27 km) [3] |
| Surface area | 17,219 acres (6,968 ha) [1] |
| Average depth | 20 ft (6.1 m) [1] |
| Max. depth | 54 ft (16 m) [1] |
| Shore length1 | 105.9 mi (170.4 km) [1] |
| Surface elevation | 380 ft (120 m) [1] |
| Islands | multiple [2] |
| Settlements | Canada: North Lake Parish / McAdam Parish USA: North Washington / Vanceboro |
| References | [1] |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Spednic Lake (sometimes Spednik Lake or Spednick Lake) is a mesotrophic lake in the Chiputneticook Lakes chain along the Canada–United States border between the state of Maine and the province of New Brunswick that is best known for its bass fishing. Sometimes it is viewed as the headwaters of the St. Croix River, sometimes a lake further up the chain is considered the headwaters. The international border runs through the lake. A northeastern arm of the lake, located entirely in Canada, retains the name Palfrey Lake. Prior to dam construction that expanded Spednic Lake they were separate lakes, but now they are hydrologically and ecologically a single combined lake.[1][2][3]
The first dam at the outlet of the lake was constructed in 1836 with a 15-foot (4.6 m) impoundment level. Over the years the dam has been modified and is now known as the Vanceboro Dam. Waterflow from this dam and others upstream are regulated by the International St. Croix River Board that is appointed by the International Joint Commission between the United States and Canada.[4]
The lake shores are primarily undeveloped, and held in conservation or protected status, either through land ownership or easement, by the state of Maine and the province of New Brunswick. Small portions remain in private hands. The principal access in Maine is via a public boat launch in the town of Vanceboro. Canoes can also be portaged from elsewhere in the watershed.[5][6][7][3]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Maine Depts. of Environmental Protection and Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (August 2005). "Maine Lakes: Morphometry and Geographic Information". Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research, The University of Maine. pp. multiple subpages used. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
LakeSurveyMapwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c d "Regional Fishing Information - Region F (The Penobscot Region)". Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-06-12. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
- ^ "International Joint Commission's Review of its Orders of Approval in the St. Croix River Basin". International Joint Commission. 1998. Archived from the original on 2012-08-02. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
- ^ "St. Croix River: State of the River 2004-2005". Canadian Heritage Rivers System. Archived from the original on 2003-03-14. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
- ^ "Spednic Lake & Upper St. Croix River Project". New England Forestry Foundation. Archived from the original on 2003-02-12. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
- ^ "Deal Closes on Spednic Lake and the St. Croix River". New England Forestry Foundation. Archived from the original on 2003-07-24. Retrieved 2008-08-01.