- Chesuncook Lake
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Chesuncook Lake Location Piscataquis County, Maine Coordinates 45°59′14″N 69°20′27″W / 45.98722°N 69.34083°WCoordinates: 45°59′14″N 69°20′27″W / 45.98722°N 69.34083°W Lake type Mesotrophic Catchment area 1,420 square miles (3,700 km2) Basin countries United States Max. length 22.5 miles (36.2 km) Max. width 1-4 miles Surface area 25,183 acres (101.91 km2) Average depth 40 feet (12 m) Max. depth 150 feet (46 m) Water volume 136,667 acre·ft (168,576,000 m3) Residence time 6 months Surface elevation 942 feet (287 m) Islands Gero Island Settlements Chesuncook Township, T2 R12 WELS, T3 R11 WELS, T3 R12 WELS Chesuncook Lake is a reservoir in Piscataquis County, Maine, formed by the damming of the western branch of the Penobscot River in 1903 and 1916.[1] It is approximately 22 miles (35 km) long and 1–4 miles wide, with a surface area of 25,183 acres (101.91 km2) and a maximum depth of 150 feet (46 m). It is the third-largest body of fresh water in Maine.[1]
In H.P. Lovecraft's horror short story The Thing on the Doorstep, the ill-fated Edward Derby found himself lost in the town of Chesuncook, "close to the wildest, deepest, and least explored forest belt in Maine."
Chesuncook Lake features in First Lensman by EE "Doc" Smith as a clandestine handover point for a shipment of illegal drugs.
References
Chesuncook Village is located on the northwestern shore of Chesuncook Lake with a year-round population of approximately 7 people on this otherwise uninhabited lake. It was settled in 1849 by Ansel A. Smith as a logging outfit. The historic Chesuncook Lake House Inn, built in 1864 is the villages main feature and still in operation in this remote wilderness village. See www.chesuncookvillage.com for more history and information.
External links
Categories:- Reservoirs in Maine
- Lakes of Piscataquis County, Maine
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