Conway Lake

Conway Lake
Conway Lake in summer
Location	Carroll County, New Hampshire
Coordinates	43°57′45″N 71°03′28″W / 43.9625°N 71.05778°W / 43.9625; -71.05778Coordinates: 43°57′45″N 71°03′28″W / 43.9625°N 71.05778°W / 43.9625; -71.05778
Primary inflows	Snow Brook
Primary outflows	Mill Brook, tributary of Saco River
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	4.0 mi (6.4 km)
Max. width	1.4 mi (2.3 km)
Surface area	1,299 acres (5 km2)
Surface elevation	437 ft (133 m)
Settlements	Conway; Eaton

Conway Lake is a 1,299-acre (5 km²) water body located in Carroll County in eastern New Hampshire, in the United States. The lake is located in the towns of Conway and Eaton, just to the east of the White Mountains and is part of the Saco River watershed.

History

Conway Lake was formerly known as Walker's Pond.^[1] At the northern edge of the lake on Mill Street there is a park by that name that comprises the Conway Lake Dam and original mill site. The lake itself was once much smaller in size; the creation of a dam to build a grist mill enlarged the lake to its present size. In 1817 the Gazetteer of the State of New Hampshire said of Conway: "It contains 4 corn mills, 5 saw mills, 1 mill for dressing cloth, 2 carding machines, 3 distilleries, and 3 retail stores."^[2]

It was not until the coming of the train tracks in 1865 that the mills started to prosper. At that time logs were floated over Conway Lake for processing before being hauled off by freight car to Portsmouth and other places. Together with the nearby granite from Redstone, the mills on Mill Street were responsible for producing wood for several train stations in New England.

Uses

Town beach on Conway Lake in Center Conway, New Hampshire

Through the years, Conway Lake has been a source for recreation, where fishermen and canoeists can go for a quiet paddle. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department manages the lake for landlocked salmon; fishing licenses are required, and the lake waters are patrolled regularly.^[3] Lakeside residents and day visitors can swim on private and public beaches. Sailing and water skiing are prevalent in the summer months.

The legend of Ol' Pork Chop ("Scar")

The lake is home to herons, loons, eagles, deer, snakes, stinkpot turtles, painted turtles and snapping turtles. According to older residents, there exists a very old and very large snapping turtle named Pork Chop, who is so-called because a summer resident claims to have fed the turtle pork chops each year. Stories of Ol' Pork Chop have been used successfully to coax children out of the water, but there have been no known snapping turtle attacks reported (aside from those on unsuspecting ducklings). Residents of the inlet on the north end of the lake call this turtle "Scar" due to a prominent laceration across his face. Aside from pork chops, Scar appears to favor leftover pizza crusts in supplement to his typical lake fare.

References

1. ^ The Walker's Pond Water Conservation Society (2008). "Walker's Pond". http://www.conwaylakehomes.com/walkerspond.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-24. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ USGW Archives C. Norris & Co. , Exeter, NH, ©1817 (1817). "Gazetteer of the State of New Hampshire 1817". http://files.usgwarchives.org/nh/carroll/history/gazetteers/1817towns.txt. Retrieved 2008-08-24. 
3. ^ New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (2008). "Opening Day for Landlocked Salmon". http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/News_2008/News_2008_Q1/Landlocked_Salmon_Opener_032508.html. Retrieved 2008-08-24.