| Lake Jean | |
|---|---|
 Lake Jean | |
  Lake Jean  Lake Jean | |
| Location | Fairmount Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania; Colley Township, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 41°20′28″N 76°17′27″W / 41.34111°N 76.29083°W |
| Etymology | Jean Holberton Ricketts |
| Primary inflows | outlet of Ganoga Lake (main inflow) |
| Primary outflows | unnamed tributary of Kitchen Creek |
| Catchment area | 1,998 acres (809 ha) |
| Max. length | up to 10,560 feet (3,220 m) |
| Max. width | up to 1,980 feet (600 m) |
| Surface area | 245 acres (99 ha) |
| Average depth | 5.9 feet (1.8 m) |
| Max. depth | up to 20 feet (6.1 m) |
| Water volume | 486 million US gallons (1.84 hm3) |
| Residence time | 0.6 years |
Lake Jean is a lake in Luzerne County and Sullivan County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It has a surface area of approximately 245 acres (99 ha) and is situated in Colley Township, Sullivan County and Fairmount Township, Luzerne County.[1] The lake's main inflow is the outlet of Ganoga Lake. Lake Jean is fairly shallow, with an average depth of 5.9 feet (1.8 m). It is in the watershed of Fishing Creek. The main rock formations in the lake's watershed include Burgoon Sandstone and the Mauch Chunk Formation. The lake is dammed by the Lake Jean Dam and is owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Lake Jean historically had a low pH due to impairment by atmospheric deposition. The lake has become less acidic, but continues to be impaired by mercury. Its watershed has an area of 1,998 acres (809 ha), including the lake itself. The majority of the watershed is forested, though there are a few other land uses. The lake was named by Colonel R. Bruce Ricketts in 1905 after Jean Holberton Ricketts, his eldest daughter. A new dam was created for it in the 1950s. In 2015, the lake was partially drained so that repair work could be done on the control tower of the Lake Jean Dam.
Lake Jean is stocked with trout and contains various species of warmwater game fish and panfish. The large tracts of forest in the lake's watershed are mainly deciduous, but there is some coniferous forest. The lake is listed on the Luzerne County Natural Areas Inventory. Its main uses are recreation and fishing and it is one of the common destinations of visitors to Ricketts Glen State Park, in which it is located.
- ^ United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, archived from the original on March 29, 2012, retrieved June 17, 2015