Graham Lake (Maine)

Graham Lake
Location of Graham Lake in Maine, USA.
Location of Graham Lake in Maine, USA.
Graham Lake
Location of Graham Lake in Maine, USA.
Location of Graham Lake in Maine, USA.
Graham Lake
LocationHancock County, Maine
Coordinates44°39′30″N 68°23′57″W / 44.658408°N 68.399188°W / 44.658408; -68.399188
Typeeutrophic reservoir[1]
Primary inflowsUnion River[1]
Primary outflowsUnion River[1]
Catchment area499 sq mi (1,290 km2) [1]
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length13 miles (21 km)[2]
Surface area9,383 acres (3,797 ha) [1]
Average depth17 ft (5.2 m) [1]
Max. depth47 ft (14 m) [1]
Water volume105,603 acre⋅ft (130,259,000 m3) [1]
Residence time3 months [1]
Shore length189.8 mi (144.5 km) [1]
Surface elevation106 ft (32 m) [1]
SettlementsEllsworth, Waltham, Mariaville
References[2]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Graham Lake in Hancock County, Maine is a eutrophic reservoir formed by the construction of a hydro-electric power dam in 1922 four miles (6 km) upstream from Ellsworth, Maine. The first dam was a hastily built earthen dam built by the Bangor Hydro Electric Company. It failed in 1923, flooding downtown Ellsworth and doing almost $8 million in property damage. The dam was rebuilt and operated by Bangor Hydro until its sale in 1999. The dam has since been acquired by PPL Corporation, which continues to use it to generate electricity.[1][3][4]

Water clarity in the lake is low,[5] with secchi disk measurements averaging less than 3 meters. Fish in the lake that are of interest to anglers include smallmouth bass, white perch, chain pickerel, landlocked salmon, and brook trout.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m various. "Lake Overview and Data Access". Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research, The University of Maine. pp. multiple subpages used. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  2. ^ a b Cohen, Saul B., ed. (2000). "Graham Lake". The Columbia gazetteer of North America. Columbia University Press. Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  3. ^ Town of Waltham v. PPL Maine, LLC, 2006 ME 88 (2006). (Calkins, J.).
  4. ^ Gross, Milton M. (2007-08-26). "Down the Road a Piece: A Little Dam History". Magic City Morning Star. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  5. ^ Michael, Holly J.; Boyle, Kevin J.; Bouchard, Roy (February 1996). "Water Quality Affects Property Prices: A Case Study of Selected Maine Lakes" (PDF). Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 18, 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-31. the Ellsworth group had only one lake with poor water clarity (Graham Lake),


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