- Lake Cochichewick
Infobox lake
lake_name = Lake Cochichewick
image_lake =
caption_lake =
image_bathymetry =
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location =North Andover, Massachusetts
coords = coord|42|42|14|N|71|05|50|W|type:waterbody_region:US_source:gnis|display=inline,title
type =
inflow =Weir Hill and other local uplands
outflow =Cochichewick River
catchment =
basin_countries = United States
length =
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cities =Lake Cochichewick is a
lake inNorth Andover, Massachusetts that collectswater fromWeir Hill and other local uplands. Its overflow drains into theCochichewick River which joins the Merrimack.Brooks School , a privateco-ed ucational prep school, is located on the shores of the lake.For the past century, Lake Cochichewick has been North Andover's main supply of
drinking water and public access to the lake was forbidden. In May 2002, however, the town began issuingboating permit s:Certain
watercraft s are allowed and must be designed to be manually propelled byoar s orpaddle s.Rowing shell s,johnboat s,dinghie s,rowboat s,canoe s andkayak s are acceptable as long as the occupants are isolated from contact with the lake. Boats must not have any thru-holes (e.g. self-bailers) that would allow contact between the occupants and thelake water.Electric motor s are acceptable as an alternate form of propulsion. The maximum length of a motorized craft is 15 feet. Inflatable boats,windsurfer s andseaplane s are not allowed. Nodomestic animal s are allowed to be in boats, on theice , or in the water at any time. [ [http://blogs.sun.com/jsolof/category/Holes+in+the+Water North Andover Water Department] ]As
Merrimack Valley was once highlyindustrialized , there has been concern about the levels of contaminants such as mercury in Lake Cochichewick and other local waters. However, recent tests have shown a significant drop in mercury levels infish such asyellow perch andlargemouth bass . Aspokesperson for the stateDepartment of Environmental Protection said:It takes a long time for mercury to build up in the environment, and our thought is that it will take quite a bit of time to leave the environment [...] This is showing us that in a relatively short period of time we can have some dramatic reductions [...] obviously the move to severely restrict mercury
emissions fromtrash incinerator s as well as closing down all state medical waste incinerators really has had a positive impact [ [http://www.news-tribune.net/features/cnhinsoutdoors_story_096035812.html "Reversing the da
] ]References
External links
* [http://www.nmrls.org/enha/exhibit/nandover/lake_cochichewick_m.shtml Map of Lake Cochichewick]
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