Lake Bomoseen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Bomoseen |
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Lake Bomoseen, a lake in Castleton, Vermont, US.
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 Lake Bomoseen
Location in Vermont
Lake Bomoseen
Location in the United States
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| Location | Rutland County, Vermont |
| Coordinates | 43°38′39″N 073°12′47″W / 43.64417°N 73.21306°W |
| Primary outflows | Castleton River |
| Catchment area | 24,770 acres (100.25 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 2,400 acres (9.6 km2) |
| Average depth | 27 feet (8.2 m) |
| Max. depth | 65 feet (19.8 m) |
| Surface elevation | 410 ft (120 m) |
| Islands | [[Neshobe Island][Rabbit Island]] |
Lake Bomoseen (pronounced BAH-muh-zeen) is a large freshwater lake in the western part of Vermont, a U.S. state. It's located in the towns of Castleton and Hubbardton in Rutland County.
This lake is the biggest one that is completely inside Vermont. It covers about 9.6 square kilometers (2,372 acres). Lake Bomoseen was formed by glaciers many years ago. It's about 8.2 meters (27 feet) deep on average, and its deepest spot is 19.8 meters (65 feet). Water from a large area (100.25 square kilometers or 24,772 acres) flows into Lake Bomoseen. It has five main streams flowing into it. The lake then empties into the Castleton River, which eventually flows into Lake Champlain.
A part of the lake's western shore is home to Bomoseen State Park. Most of the other areas around the lake are privately owned. You can find fun places like a public beach, marinas for boats, and public boat launches. There are also about 1,000 homes around the lake, plus restaurants and other shops.
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History of Lake Bomoseen
How the Lake and Mountains Formed
Millions of years ago, soft clays settled at the bottom of the ocean. Over time, these clays were squeezed and turned into a type of rock called shale. Later, the ocean floor pushed up to create the Taconic Mountains. The heat and pressure from this process changed the shale into a much harder rock called slate. Lake Bomoseen sits in a valley surrounded by the lower hills of these mountains. This area is famous for its slate, and the lake's history is closely tied to Vermont's slate industry.
Slate Quarries and Industry
Bomoseen State Park has several old quarry holes. These are places where slate was dug out of the ground. You can also see colorful piles of slate rubble nearby. These quarries provided slate for a big company called the West Castleton Railroad and Slate Company. This company had many buildings, between sixty and seventy, located between Glen Lake and Lake Bomoseen. Today, some slate buildings and their foundations still remain in the park. You can even get a special map called the "Slate History Trail" at the park's entrance to guide you.
Famous Visitors to Neshobe Island
In the 1920s, a well-known writer named Alexander Woollcott owned Neshobe Island. This island is in the middle of Lake Bomoseen. He used it as a quiet getaway and a fun place for his friends, many of whom were famous writers and actors. These friends were part of a group called the Algonquin Round Table.
Some of the famous people who visited Neshobe Island included Harpo Marx, a famous comedian. Woollcott also started another group called the Neshobe Island Club. This club welcomed many other famous guests, such as actors Laurence Olivier, Helen Hayes, and Vivien Leigh. Writers like Ring Lardner, Dorothy Parker, and Thornton Wilder also visited. Even Walt Disney, the creator of Mickey Mouse, spent time there!
Fun Activities at Lake Bomoseen
There are many exciting things to do at Lake Bomoseen, no matter the season!
- Water Sports: You can go boating, water skiing, wakeboarding, scuba diving, and wind surfing. Swimming is also very popular.
- Winter Fun: When the lake freezes in winter, people enjoy ice fishing and cross-country skiing.
- Crystal Beach: This public beach offers swimming, volleyball, a playground, and picnic areas. You can also play basketball there.
- Bomoseen State Park: At the state park, you can go camping, swimming, play volleyball, and explore hiking trails.
- Fishing: The lake is full of different kinds of fish! You can catch bass, panfish, bullhead, brown trout, yellow perch, smelt, and northern pike.
- Golf: If you like golf, there's a 9-hole public golf course called Prospect Point Golf Club.
Protecting Lake Bomoseen's Wildlife
Osprey Conservation Efforts
Ospreys are large birds that hunt fish. Many years ago, their numbers dropped very low in Vermont and across the United States. This happened because of a chemical called DDT, which was used as a pesticide. DDT got into the food chain, and when ospreys ate fish with DDT, their eggshells became thin and broke easily.
For over 15 years, a company called Central Vermont Public Service has worked with the state to help ospreys recover. They have put up special platforms for ospreys to build nests on. They also create safe areas around nests and teach people about how much space these birds need. There are plans to put an osprey platform at Lake Bomoseen. In recent years, people have seen ospreys flying around the lake more often.
Bald Eagle Nesting Site
Bald eagles, the national bird of the United States, also suffered from the use of pesticides in the 1950s and 1960s. Luckily, their populations are now recovering. In recent years, a pair of bald eagles has built a nest on Neshobe Island, right in the middle of Lake Bomoseen. These eagles feed on the many fish in the lake, like trout and bass.
