Hickory Hills Lake (Lunenburg, Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hickory Hills Lake |
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 Hickory Hills Lake
Location in Massachusetts
Hickory Hills Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Worcester County, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 42°36′40″N 71°42′25″W / 42.61111°N 71.70694°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 319 acres (129 ha) |
| Average depth | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| Max. depth | 20 ft (6.1 m) |
| Surface elevation | 367 ft (112 m) |
| Dam | Hickory Hills Lake Dam |
| Islands | several |
| Settlements | Lunenburg |
Hickory Hills Lake is a really big private lake in Massachusetts. You can find it in the town of Lunenburg, which is in Worcester County. It's the largest private lake in the whole state!
Contents
How Hickory Hills Lake Was Made
Before 1925, the area where Hickory Hills Lake is now was just a swampy spot. It was next to a stream called Mulpus Brook. A man named Charles P. Dickinson owned this land. He had a big idea to turn the swamp into his own private lake.
In the summer of 1925, all the trees were cleared away. This made room for a large dirt wall, called an earthen dike, to be built. By 1926, the dike was finished and started to fill with water. This created what was first known as the Dickinson Reservoir.
The Lake Changes Hands
Charles Dickinson passed away in 1935. He left the lake to his son, Arnold Dickinson. Later, Arnold sold the lake and much of the land around it. It was bought by a group called the Hickory Hills Lake Corporation.
One of the people in this group was Al Bowron. He worked hard to build a community around the lake. He even drained the lake at one point to build new roads on the property.
Residents Take Over the Lake
Al Bowron died in 1971. His son, Scott, then took over managing the lake community. The community was having some tough times and needed a lot of care. Scott tried his best, but it was hard to keep up with all the work.
In 1978, Scott decided to sell the lake. This made a group of residents come together. They formed a new group called Hickory Hills Landowners, Inc. This group bought all of Hickory Hills Lake and the land around it. From that point on, the people living in Hickory Hills decided to work together. They took on the responsibility of caring for their own community.
About the Lake Itself
Hickory Hills Lake covers about 319 acres (129 ha). That's like 240 football fields! The water is usually around 12 feet (3.7 m) deep, but in some spots, it can be as deep as 20 feet (6.1 m).
The lake and its three beaches are owned by the Hickory Hills Landowners, Inc. These beaches are only for the people who live in the Hickory Hills community.
Fish You Can Find
The lake is home to many different kinds of fish. Some of the fish you might find include:
- Largemouth bass
- Smallmouth bass
- Chain pickerel
- Yellow perch
- Brown bullhead
- Golden shiner
- Sunfish
- Bluegill
Fun on the Water: Boating
If you live in the community and don't have lakefront property, there's a special boat docking area. You can use it if you have a boat sticker and an ID card.
Many types of boats are allowed on the lake:
There are rules for motorboats. They can't have more than 8 horsepower (HP). Pontoon boats have a slightly higher limit of 9.9 HP. For safety, Jet Skis and water skiing are not allowed.
Every year on July 4th, Hickory Hills Lake has a fun boat parade!
Keeping the Lake Healthy
In 2009, a group was formed to look after the lake's environment. They wanted to find any problems that could affect the lake's quality and health.
By 2012, this group found a few issues. For example, some of the shorelines and islands had erosion problems. This means the land was wearing away. More recently, a plant called Fanwort was found in two parts of the main lake. This is an invasive weed, which means it's not native and can cause problems for the lake's ecosystem. The community works to manage these issues to keep the lake healthy.
