Lovell Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lovell Lake |
|
|---|---|
Near the outlet in Sanbornville, New Hampshire
|
|
 Lovell Lake
Location in New Hampshire
Lovell Lake
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Wakefield, Carroll County, New Hampshire |
| Coordinates | 43°32′27″N 71°0′15″W / 43.54083°N 71.00417°W |
| Type | oligotrophic |
| Primary inflows | Horse Brook |
| Primary outflows | Branch River |
| Catchment area | 3,076 acres (12.4 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 2.5 mi (4.0 km) |
| Max. width | 0.7 mi (1.1 km) |
| Surface area | 538 acres (2.18 km2) |
| Average depth | 18 ft (5.5 m) |
| Max. depth | 40 ft (12.2 m) |
| Water volume | 8,623,000 m3 (304,518,371.1 cu ft) |
| Residence time | 1.4 years |
| Shore length1 | 6.6 mi (10.6 km) |
| Surface elevation | 571 ft (174 m) |
| Islands | 3 |
| Settlements | Sanbornville (town of Wakefield) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lovell Lake is a beautiful lake covering about 538-acre (2.18 km2) in Carroll County, New Hampshire. It's located in the town of Wakefield. This lake gets its water from underground springs and small streams like Horse Brook.
The water from Lovell Lake flows out into the Branch River. This happens near the village of Sanbornville. The Branch River then travels through Milton. It eventually joins the Salmon Falls River and flows into the Piscataqua River. Finally, the water reaches the Gulf of Maine.
Contents
Protecting Lovell Lake's Water
Lovell Lake is known for its high-quality water. It's even called a "Tier 1" water body. This means it's considered very healthy by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
What is a Watershed?
The area that drains water into Lovell Lake is called its watershed. This watershed is quite large, covering about 3,076 acres (1,244.8 ha). Most of this area (64%) is covered by forests. About 14% of the land has buildings and roads.
Keeping the Shoreline Healthy
Many homes and camps are built along the lake's edge. About 87% of the shoreline has houses. A lot of these buildings (68%) are very close to the water. When it rains, water runs off these developed areas. This runoff can carry pollution into the lake. Even though the lake is high quality, this runoff can threaten its health.
How We Measure Water Quality
Scientists have been checking Lovell Lake's water quality for many years. They started measuring in 1979. They look at several things to see how clean the water is:
- Water Clarity: They use a secchi disk to see how clear the water is. This helps them know how much tiny stuff is floating in it.
- Nutrients: They measure phosphorus levels. Too much phosphorus can cause algae to grow too fast.
- Algae: They also check for chlorophyll-a (Chl-a). This is a green pigment found in algae, so it tells them how much algae is in the lake.
- Oxygen: They measure dissolved oxygen (DO). Fish and other lake creatures need oxygen to breathe.
Organizations Helping the Lake
Several groups work hard to keep Lovell Lake clean and healthy.
- Lovell Lake Association: This group is dedicated to taking care of the lake.
- NH Lake Host Program: Volunteers inspect boats before they enter the lake. They check for tiny plants or animals that could harm the lake. Over 500 boats are checked each year!
- Weed Watchers Program: This program has people look along the shoreline for invasive aquatic plants. These are plants that don't belong there and can take over.
Fish and Wildlife in Lovell Lake
Lovell Lake is a great place for fishing. It's known as a "warmwater fishery." This means it's home to many types of fish that prefer warmer water.
You can find many different fish species here, including:
