Lake Waramaug State Park

Waramaug Lake State Park is located in the towns of Kent, Warren, and Washington in Litchfield County, Connecticut. The lake lies approximately convert|20|mi|km|0 north of Danbury. The park provides swimming, fishing, picnicking, camping and restroom facilities. The boat-launch facility is for car top boats and canoes only.

Although natural in origin, the surface elevation of the lake has been raised by a small concrete and masonry dam. The surface area of the lake is approximately convert|680|acre|km2|1. The lake has a maximum depth of convert|40|ft|m|0, an average depth of convert|22|ft|m|0, and contains approximately 4.8 billion gallons of water. The lake is fed by Sucker Brook (Lake Waramaug Brook), numerous small streams, and groundwater that enters through the lake bottom. Drainage from Waramaug Lake flows southward into the East Aspetuck River. For a look at the water depths of Waramaug Lake, please see - The Water Depths of Waramaug Lake.

The bottom materials on steep side slopes of the lake consist primarily of gravel, cobbles, and boulders, whereas the flatter areas consist primarily of sand, mud, and organic muck. The watershed of the lake is 14.4 square miles (convert|9216|acre|km2|0). Approximately 74 percent (convert|6820|acre|km2|0) of the watershed is forested. Wetlands and water bodies comprise approximately 10 percent (convert|922|acre|km2|1) of the watershed, while the remaining 16 percent (convert|1474|acre|km2|0) of the area is low-density residential housing and commercial and agricultural land. For a look at the water quality of Waramaug Lake, please see - The Water Quality of Waramaug Lake.

The shoreline development of Lake Waramaug is moderate and includes houses and cottages, with no commercial establishments. Public access to the lake is available within Lake Waramaug State Park, which is located at the northwestern end of the lake. Outside park boundaries, the shoreline is privately owned. The park can be reached by taking Route 45 north from Route 202 and turning west onto North Shore Road. For a directional map to Waramaug Lake, please see - The Index Map for Waramaug Lake.

An aquatic survey of Waramaug Lake was published in 1987. The survey found aquatic vegetation to be relatively sparse, with only localized growths of emergent and submergent species along the shorelines and shallows of the lake. Aquatic species observed include Robbins pondweed ("Potamogeton robbinsii"), coontail ("Ceratophyllum demersum"), white-water lily ("Nymphaea odorata"), narrow-leaved arrowhead ("Sagittaria graminea"), yellow-pond lily ("Nuphar variegatum"), spike rush ("Eleocharis sp."), bushy pondweed ("Najas flexilis"), leafy pondweed ("Potamogeton foliosus") and pondweed ("Potamogeton gramineus").

The fish species observed in Waramaug Lake include largemouth, smallmouth and calico bass; lake and rainbow trout; yellow and white perch; pickerel, alewives, sunfish, and bullheads.

History

The lake is named after an Indian chief of the Wyantenock tribe. Chief Waramaug and his followers summered in the area now covered by Lake Waramaug. The land comprising the park, consisting of approximately 95 acres, was purchased by the State in 1920.

References

*Connecticut DEP, 1999, Connecticut Angler's Guide.
*Connecticut DEP, 1999, Connecticut Boating Safety Enforcement Manual 1999 - Statutes and Regulations.
*An Electrofishing Survey of Selected Connecticut Lakes. Jacobs, R.P. and O'Donnell, E.B., 1996,
*State Board of Fisheries and Game, 1959, A Fishery Survey of the Lakes and Ponds of Connecticut.

External links

* [http://LakeWaramaug.net/ Lake Waramaug Website]
* [http://dep.state.ct.us/STATEPARKS/parks/lakewaramaug.htm Connecticut entry]
* [http://ctman2.dyndns.ws/wara2006/100OLYMP/ Lake panoramics going counterclockwise around lake]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=856NMMeMbKk Cycling around lake Video]