Natural Lakes

[Hikerhead]

I could not find a good spot to put this thread so I'm just adding it here.

Somebody in another thread stated that they didn't like unnatural lakes. Well niether do I. But in the state of Virginia, there's only two naturally accuring lakes. They being Mtn Lake on Salt Pond Mtn, which the AT comes within a few mile of, and Lake Drummond in the Dismal Swamp. All other lakes in Va are man made. My point being that if there were no manmade lakes in Va, there would be hardly any at all.

So, how many naturally occuring lakes do you have in the state that you live in?

[Cookerhiker]

I could not find a good spot to put this thread so I'm just adding it here.

Somebody in another thread stated that they didn't like unnatural lakes. Well niether do I. But in the state of Virginia, there's only two naturally accuring lakes. They being Mtn Lake on Salt Pond Mtn, which the AT comes within a few mile of, and Lake Drummond in the Dismal Swamp. All other lakes in Va are man made. My point being that if there were no manmade lakes in Va, there would be hardly any at all.

So, how many naturally occuring lakes do you have in the state that you live in?

HH, I'm the one who mentioned my disdain of phony lakes. And yes, my home state of Maryland has zero real lakes. Deep Creek Lake in far Western Maryland is the state's largest lake - somewhat scenic at first glance but replete with cottages and condos. I grew up in Northern NJ and spent much time in Harriman Park, NY - home of many real lakes - and admit that the one natural feature I really miss in my adopted home state (33 years now) is lakes.

But hey, it's nice being situated close to the Chesapeake Bay and this area has scenic rivers which lend themselves to all manners of water sports - whitewater to flatwater. There's also prolific wildlife refugees within a reasonable drive. And Garrett County, MD - home of the aforementioned Deep Creek Lake - is a 4-season treasure with real New England-type winter due to its mean elevation. For example, Deep Creek Lake features ice fishing.

There's hardly any lakes south of Northern NJ and PA near the AT corridor. Then again, even Maine has some phony lakes.

[DavidNH]

I could not find a good spot to put this thread so I'm just adding it here.

Somebody in another thread stated that they didn't like unnatural lakes. Well niether do I. But in the state of Virginia, there's only two naturally accuring lakes. They being Mtn Lake on Salt Pond Mtn, which the AT comes within a few mile of, and Lake Drummond in the Dismal Swamp. All other lakes in Va are man made. My point being that if there were no manmade lakes in Va, there would be hardly any at all.

So, how many naturally occuring lakes do you have in the state that you live in?

Gee..must have dozens and dozens! Maine and NH are where its's at for lakes! Vermont doesn't do too bad either. Mass and CT gets a bit sparse.


The ultimate place for natural lakes though.. is outside of New England.. the Adirondacks! that is the true land of natural lakes!

[smokymtnsteve]

we gotta few natural lakes here in AK

[weary]

we gotta few natural lakes here in AK

Well, Maine has sort of lost count. Some say 3,000. Others think 5,000 lakes and ponds, most of which are natural. My favorite at the moment, however, is a tiny 10-acre pond that my town's land trust is trying to protect from development. It's cold and deep, has rocky shores, is spring fed, and is periodically stocked with trout. It's a rare gem among increasingly developed, and over developed, coastal towns.

I bought 23 acres near the north shoreline of the pond 30 years ago. Ten years ago I persuaded a neighbor to donate his 23 acres on the shoreline to our land trust. He did, on condition that I also donate my 23 acres. I did.

Two years ago, our land trust, which I founded 35 years ago, bought the southern shore, which gives us control of the easy access. We still dream of buying the middle sections, however. And still dream of eliminating the rogue ATV drivers who are eroding the pond shore and allowing eroded soil to pollute the pond.

Sorry for the off topic comments. But one can feel equally passionate about a tiny scenic gem of a pond as so many in a different thread profess to feel for the Appalachian Trail. I work for, and donate far more than I should, to both. But I find it fascinating that it is far easier to raise money to buy land around a tiny scenic pond in a tiny coastal Maine town, than to raise money to buffer what until now has been the wildest portions of the entire 2,175 mile Appalachian Trail. -- and now is the most threatened.

I currently have three goals: To protect a wild pond in the town where I chose to live 43 years ago. To protect the still wild, but critically threatened Appalachian Trail. And to figure out why the former is so much easier to do than the latter.

Weary www.matlt.org

[MOWGLI]

Its a product of glaciation. I miss the geology of the NE living here in Tennessee. I grew up at Greenwood Lake, which at 8 miles can be seen from the AT along the NY/NJ border. Which by the way, is half natural, and half man made. Most all of the NJ section of the lake is man made. In fact, an early memory of mine was my father splitting his head open on a stump when he dove in trying to fetch an anchor hungup on the bottom. Ouch!

[Peaks]

Most natural lakes were formed by the glaciers. So, that's why you don't see them in the south.

[Kerosene]

Michigan may not have as many as Minnesota ("The Land of 10,000 Lakes") but there are certainly thousands. As Peaks said, glaciation has a lot to do with it.

[Tha Wookie]

I read something one time that I believe said that Georgia has no natural lakes at all. Feel free to confirm or dispute.

The tremendous impact colonials have had on the the North American hydrology is perhaps the biggest collective environmental disaster outside of us poisoning it all.

Where's Hayduke when you need him?

[Tim Rich]

I read something one time that I believe said that Georgia has no natural lakes at all. Feel free to confirm or dispute.

The tremendous impact colonials have had on the the North American hydrology is perhaps the biggest collective environmental disaster outside of us poisoning it all.

Where's Hayduke when you need him?

Not many in the South, as has been said, until you get into limestone sinkhole country, primarily Florida. I believe Reelfoot Lake in TN was formed from a landslide.

[K-Man]

Sunfish Pond in DWG is a glacial lake I believe.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/...imageuser=6949

Man I love Sunfish Pond. It's where I take my friends who are new to hiking. Seeing that pond usually gets them hooked!

[RockyTrail]

I read something one time that I believe said that Georgia has no natural lakes at all. Feel free to confirm or dispute.

Well, there's those little dimples on top of Stone Mountain...

[scothiker]

This is a very interesting thread. From quick research online, it appears there are in fact no large natural lakes in Georgia. Here's one quote, from georgiaencyclopedia.org: "The land that makes up present-day Georgia had few natural lakes before European settlement, and most impoundments, formed by beavers and debris dams from high flows, were relatively small. The lack of glacial retreat, land slope, and local geology provided conditions for large and small rivers and streams but not for lakes. The natural water bodies that occur in Georgia are primarily located in the southern part of the state in the Coastal Plain, where sinkhole lakes and isolated wetlands in natural shallow depressions largely fed by rain and shallow groundwater, called Carolina bays.." From the Georgia DNR website, it also says there are no large natural lakes, only oxbow lakes and Carolina bays.

The lakes we know and love were mainly created by Georgia Power Co., the TVA, or the Army Corps of Engineers. For example, Lake Rabun was created by Ga. Power in 1915 and Lake Chatuge by the TVA during WWII (this information also from the above website). In my opinion, this makes them no less beautiful and enjoyable.

If anyone disputes or cares to add to my information (the result of about 5 minutes of online research), please chime in.

[RockyTrail]

There a was a PBS show about "Carolina bays" recently. They are found on the Coastal Plain within 100 miles or so of the coast, not limited to the Carolinas. They consist of a maybe 5 acre circular plot with a profile of a shallow crater. Many farmers avoided cultivating them considering them bogs, but often they are dry depressions with thickets of brush/trees around the edges and often in the center. Wildlife loves it. Speculation has it that they may have been formed when this area was under the sea many years ago...they are easily spotted from an airplane but not very noticable from the ground.

[Almost There]

As a Geography teacher I will go ahead and say there are absolutely zero large naturally appearing lakes in Georgia. At least I have yet to find any research that disputes this statement!

[scothiker]

I grew up taking vacations at Lakes Rabun and Burton, both of which I think were created by Ga. Power in the early 1900s. They are both very beautiful, I think.

Rocky, I had never heard the term "Carolina bays" before and did not see the program, but I have seen those lakes in S. Georgia before, so that is interesting.

[Footslogger]

Wyoming has well over 4000 natural lakes. The Wind River area has 1300 alone and that does not include the lakes of Yellowstone and Jackson.

'Slogger

[Uncle Silly]

Sunfish Pond in DWG is a glacial lake I believe.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/...imageuser=6949

Man I love Sunfish Pond. It's where I take my friends who are new to hiking. Seeing that pond usually gets them hooked!

Indeed, Sunfish Pond is the southernmost glacial lake on the trail. Beautiful spot.

[walkin' wally]

Back to Maine for a bit. Ironically, the large lake just below the Kennebec River crossing and the lakes just above on the Dead and Kennebec rivers are all man made. They are Wyman, Flagstaff and Indian Pond. One of the very clearest lakes in Maine is Pleasant Pond on Caratunk.

More trivia. The deepest lake in Maine is Sebago in Southern Maine at 316 feet. The largest is Moosehead Lake above the forks at about 75,000 acres and is the headwaters for the Kennebec River. The highest pond in Maine is Speck Pond along the AT in the Western Mountains.

Some other nice lakes and ponds along the AT in Maine are the Horns Pond, Carry Ponds, Pierce Pond, Spectacle pond, Cloud Pond, the Chairbacks, Crawford Pond, the Pemadumcook chain, Crescent Pond, Nahmakanta and Rainbow Lakes. Some of these have great fishing and swimmming.

[Cookerhiker]

Back to Maine for a bit. Ironically, the large lake just below the Kennebec River crossing and the lakes just above on the Dead and Kennebec rivers are all man made. They are Wyman, Flagstaff and Indian Pond. One of the very clearest lakes in Maine is Pleasant Pond on Caratunk.

More trivia. The deepest lake in Maine is Sebago in Southern Maine at 316 feet. The largest is Moosehead Lake above the forks at about 75,000 acres and is the headwaters for the Kennebec River. The highest pond in Maine is Speck Pond along the AT in the Western Mountains.

Some other nice lakes and ponds along the AT in Maine are the Horns Pond, Carry Ponds, Pierce Pond, Spectacle pond, Cloud Pond, the Chairbacks, Crawford Pond, the Pemadumcook chain, Crescent Pond, Nahmakanta and Rainbow Lakes. Some of these have great fishing and swimmming.

Don't forget Lower Jo-Mary Lake with its nice sandy beach. Does its proximity near Pemadumcook make it part of the "Pemadumcook chain?"

I thought Rainbow Lake was artificial; there's a dam there. I didn't find it as impressive as the others you mentioned.