Queechy Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Queechy Lake |
|
---|---|
Location | Canaan, Columbia County, New York |
Coordinates | 42°24′28″N 073°24′54″W / 42.40778°N 73.41500°W |
Type | reservoir, natural lake |
Basin countries | United States |
Surface area | 141 acres (57 ha) |
Max. depth | 40 ft (12 m) |
Queechy Lake is a beautiful lake located in Canaan, a town in Columbia County, New York. It is quite close to the border of Massachusetts. This lake is a mix of a natural lake and a reservoir, which means its water level has been changed by people.
About Queechy Lake
Queechy Lake is a cool place to visit. It's known for its clear waters and the different kinds of fish that live there. The lake's name, Queechy, comes from an old Native American language. It was called Quis-sich-kook by the Mahican people, but what that name means today is not fully known.
Location and Size
Queechy Lake is easy to find because it's near two main roads: New York State Route 295 and New York State Route 22. The lake is pretty big, covering about 141 acres (0.57 km2) of land. That's like more than 100 football fields! It's also quite deep, reaching down to 40 feet (12 m) in some spots.
Fish and Wildlife
Queechy Lake is a great spot for fishing. Many different types of fish call this lake home. If you go fishing there, you might catch:
- brown bullhead
- brown trout
- largemouth bass
- smallmouth bass
- chain pickerel
- pumpkinseed
- bluegill
- rock bass
- rainbow trout
- black crappie
- yellow perch
History of the Lake
Queechy Lake started as a natural lake, formed by nature. However, a long time ago, before 1910, people built a dam. This dam was built on a small stream called Stony Kill, which flows into Queechy Lake. The main reason for building the dam was to hold back water. This water was then used to power mills located further downstream. Mills are places where things like grain were ground into flour.
Sometimes, the lake's water levels can change. For example, in the early 1800s, there was a very dry summer. This caused the water level to drop a lot. When the water went down, a muddy area appeared at one end of the lake. This shows how lakes can change with the weather!