Upon moving to Massachusetts in the late 1990's, we were introduced to the Quabbin Reservoir. At the time, to me, it was just a very big lake in the area I was moving to. A big lake indeed. over 190 miles of shoreline, the reservoir (not really a lake), has an average depth of over 50 feet to a maximum of about 150 feet, running 18 miles long.
In the late 1920's,legislative action authorized construction of the reservoir as a water supply for the Boston area. Today it supplies clean, fresh water to about 2.5 million residents. The Quabbin Reservoir is the largest inland body of water in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was built between 1930 and 1939. In many ways, it makes me think this could have been a predecessor to construction of Lake Mead and the Hover dam in Nevada.
I am no history buff, but since moving here, to Athol in 1997, at the north end of the Quabbin, followed by purchasing a home in New Salem on the northwest end, I have leaned a few things about the construction. Most importantly, 4 former Massachusetts towns are now under the Quabbin. Most recently, I found a WGBY documentary "Under Quabbin", made in 2001, but it is new and interesting to me.... I hope you enjoy it as well.
Take a peek at: http://www.pbs.org/video/2365046325/
No comments:
Post a Comment