Washington Park Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Washington Park Lake |
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Washington Park lake looking north towards the pedestrian bridge.
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 Washington Park Lake
Location in New York
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| Location | Albany, New York |
| Coordinates | 42°39′26″N 73°46′23″W / 42.657302°N 73.773118°W |
| Type | Artificial |
| Managing agency | City of Albany |
| Built | 1873 |
| Max. length | 1,600 ft (490 m) |
| Max. width | 140 ft (43 m) |
| Surface area | 5.2 acres (21,000 m2) |
| Average depth | 6.6 ft (2.0 m) |
| Max. depth | 11 ft (3.4 m) |
| Water volume | 1,588,400 ft³ (44,978.5 m³) |
Washington Park Lake is a beautiful body of water found in Albany, New York. It is located in the southwestern part of Washington Park. This lake covers about 5.2 acres.
The lake is usually about 6.6 feet deep. Its deepest spots are a bit over 11 feet deep. Washington Park Lake is roughly 1,600 feet long and 140 feet wide.
Right next to the lake, you'll find the Washington Park Lakehouse. There is also an amphitheater where the Park Playhouse group performs musicals in the summer.
A special wrought-iron bridge crosses the lake where it is narrowest. This footbridge is the only original structure left in Washington Park. It was built over the lake in 1875. The lamps on the bridge first used gas for light. They were changed to electric lights in 1881.
You can go ice skating on Washington Park Lake when it's frozen. However, swimming is not allowed in the lake.
Lake History
Over the years, Washington Park Lake has needed some repairs. In 1986, the city fixed cracks in a concrete spillway. This was because the lake's water level was two to three feet lower than normal.
The next year, the lake was still about one foot too low. Workers found another leak. A tall beech tree had grown on top of an old brick sewer pipe along the lake's southern edge. A break in this five-foot-tall pipe caused a hole in the ground. This hole allowed water from the lake to flow into the sewer. The same pipe caused more issues in 1995, and more repairs were done.
Fish and Water Quality
In 1991, something unusual happened at the lake. The city had added copper sulfate to the water to kill algae. Two days later, many fish started to die. This happened because there was not enough oxygen in the water. Hundreds of fish were struggling near the surface.
To help the fish, the city quickly acted. They connected a 200-foot pipe to two air compressors. These pumped oxygen into the lake, much like an aerator in a fish aquarium. This quickly raised the oxygen levels. Soon, the fish returned to their normal behavior.
