Bomoseen Lake
Encyclopedia
Lake Bomoseen is a freshwater lake
in the western part of the state
of Vermont
in the towns of Castleton
and Hubbardton
in Rutland County. It is the largest lake that lies entirely within the state's boundaries, with a surface area of approximately 9.6 square kilometres (2,372.2 acre). The lake was formed by glaciation and has an average and maximum depth of 8.2 metres (26.9 ft) and 19.8 metres (65 ft), respectively. It drains a 100.25 square kilometres (24,772.3 acre) watershed, has five major inlets, and empties to the Castleton River.
A portion of the lake's shoreline is contained within Bomoseen State Park. Most of the remaining area around the lake is privately owned. The lake has such recreational accommodations as a public beach, marinas, and public boat launches, in addition to the state park. There are approximately 1,000 residences around the lake, as well as restaurants and other commercial facilities.
. When the ocean floor uplifted to form the Taconic Mountains
, heat and pressure metamorphosed the shale into much harder slate. Lake Bomoseen nestles in the hills of these mountains. The Taconics
are the slate-producing region of Vermont, and the area's history parallels the rise and fall of Vermont's slate
industry.
Bomoseen State Park has several quarry holes and adjacent colorful slate rubble piles. These quarries provided slate for the West Castleton Railroad and Slate Company, a complex of sixty to seventy buildings that stood between Glen Lake
and Lake Bomoseen. Several slate buildings and foundations remain in the park, and a self-guided Slate History Trail brochure is available at the contact station.
In the 1920s, literary critic Alexander Woollcott
owned Neshobe Island
and the island served as a retreat and playground for members of the famed Algonquin Round Table
.
s were virtually wiped out in Vermont and most of the United States
by pesticides decades ago. DDT
got into the food chain, and osprey populations plummeted as the chemical made their eggshells thin and brittle. CVPS has worked on osprey restoration efforts with the state for over 15 years, installing platforms at hydroelectric facilities, creating buffer zones and educating Vermonters on the birds’ need for space. A platform is under consideration at Lake Bomoseen.
Bald Eagles were also victims of the pesticide use of the 50's and 60's. Although there has not been a recorded nesting of Bald Eagles on Lake Bomoseen, there have been several sitings of eagles up and down the lake, enjoying the abundant prey of trout, bass, and perch.
. By the early 1980s, Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum
) were the dominant weed species in the lake. Eurasian watermilfoil is an introduced species that is difficult to control due to its ability to survive in various environmental conditions. At one point the watermilfoil covered 2.4 square kilometres (593.1 acre) of the lake, impairing its recreational and commercial uses.
Researchers from Middlebury College, working under contract for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation introduced a native aquatic weevil
, (Euhrychiopsis lecontei
), to help combat the problem. Other treatments such as chemical treatment with the aquatic herbicide Sonar* have been used at other lakes.
In recent years, zebra mussels have been introduced to Lake Bomoseen after many years of attempted prevention. The mussels are clearly visible on the bottom of the lake around the shoreline and have visibly restricted the growth of watermilfoil.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the western part of the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
in the towns of Castleton
Castleton, Vermont
Castleton is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. Castleton is about to the west of Rutland, and about east of the New York/Vermont state border. The town had a population of 4,717 at the 2010 census. Castleton State College is located there, with roots dating to 1787...
and Hubbardton
Hubbardton, Vermont
Hubbardton is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for Thomas Hubbard, a landholder. The population was 706 at the 2010 census....
in Rutland County. It is the largest lake that lies entirely within the state's boundaries, with a surface area of approximately 9.6 square kilometres (2,372.2 acre). The lake was formed by glaciation and has an average and maximum depth of 8.2 metres (26.9 ft) and 19.8 metres (65 ft), respectively. It drains a 100.25 square kilometres (24,772.3 acre) watershed, has five major inlets, and empties to the Castleton River.
A portion of the lake's shoreline is contained within Bomoseen State Park. Most of the remaining area around the lake is privately owned. The lake has such recreational accommodations as a public beach, marinas, and public boat launches, in addition to the state park. There are approximately 1,000 residences around the lake, as well as restaurants and other commercial facilities.
History
Millions of years ago, clays that accumulated on the ocean floor compressed into shaleShale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
. When the ocean floor uplifted to form the Taconic Mountains
Taconic Mountains
The Taconic Mountains or Taconic Range are a physiographic section of the larger New England province and part of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border of New York State and adjacent New England from northwest Connecticut to western Massachusetts, north to central western...
, heat and pressure metamorphosed the shale into much harder slate. Lake Bomoseen nestles in the hills of these mountains. The Taconics
Taconic Mountains
The Taconic Mountains or Taconic Range are a physiographic section of the larger New England province and part of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border of New York State and adjacent New England from northwest Connecticut to western Massachusetts, north to central western...
are the slate-producing region of Vermont, and the area's history parallels the rise and fall of Vermont's slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
industry.
Bomoseen State Park has several quarry holes and adjacent colorful slate rubble piles. These quarries provided slate for the West Castleton Railroad and Slate Company, a complex of sixty to seventy buildings that stood between Glen Lake
Glen Lake
Glen Lake is a lake located in Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan, near Lake Michigan. Several villages and hamlets lie along or near its shore, including Burdickville, Glen Arbor, and Glen Haven...
and Lake Bomoseen. Several slate buildings and foundations remain in the park, and a self-guided Slate History Trail brochure is available at the contact station.
In the 1920s, literary critic Alexander Woollcott
Alexander Woollcott
Alexander Humphreys Woollcott was an American critic and commentator for The New Yorker magazine and a member of the Algonquin Round Table....
owned Neshobe Island
Neshobe Island
Neshobe Island is an island in Lake Bomoseen in the town of Castleton, U.S. state of Vermont. It is particularly known for its association during the 1920s and 1930s with the Algonquin Round Table, a group of literary figures....
and the island served as a retreat and playground for members of the famed Algonquin Round Table
Algonquin Round Table
The Algonquin Round Table was a celebrated group of New York City writers, critics, actors and wits. Gathering initially as part of a practical joke, members of "The Vicious Circle", as they dubbed themselves, met for lunch each day at the Algonquin Hotel from 1919 until roughly 1929...
.
Activities at Lake Bomoseen and in Rutland, Vermont
- Boating, water skiing, wakeboardingWakeboardingWakeboarding is a surface water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over the surface of a body of water. It was developed from a combination of water skiing, snow boarding and surfing techniques....
, scuba divingScuba divingScuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
, wind surfing, swimming, fishing, camping, and hunting. - Ice FishingIce fishingIce fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
and cross country skiing in winter. - Crystal beach: volley ball, swimming, playground, Picnicing, basketball.
- Bomoseen State Park: Camping, swimming, volleyball, hiking.
- Hiking and biking on The Long Trail
- Rock climbing and cliff jumping.
- Fishing: bassBass (fish)Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
, panfishPanfishA panfish, also spelled pan-fish or pan fish, is an edible game fish that usually doesn't outgrow the size of a frying pan. The term is also commonly used by anglers to refer to any small catch that will fit in a pan, but is large enough to be legal. However its definition and usage varies with...
, lake troutLake troutLake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
, brown troutBrown troutThe brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
, yellow perchYellow perchThe yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
, smelt, and northern pikeNorthern PikeThe northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
. - Prospect Bay Country Club- 9-hole Public Golf Course
- Diamond Run Mall, the state's second largest shopping mall
- Vermont State Fairground
Conservation
OspreyOsprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
s were virtually wiped out in Vermont and most of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by pesticides decades ago. DDT
DDT
DDT is one of the most well-known synthetic insecticides. It is a chemical with a long, unique, and controversial history....
got into the food chain, and osprey populations plummeted as the chemical made their eggshells thin and brittle. CVPS has worked on osprey restoration efforts with the state for over 15 years, installing platforms at hydroelectric facilities, creating buffer zones and educating Vermonters on the birds’ need for space. A platform is under consideration at Lake Bomoseen.
Bald Eagles were also victims of the pesticide use of the 50's and 60's. Although there has not been a recorded nesting of Bald Eagles on Lake Bomoseen, there have been several sitings of eagles up and down the lake, enjoying the abundant prey of trout, bass, and perch.
Controversy
Lake Bomoseen has had a long history of weed problemsInvasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
. By the early 1980s, Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum
Myriophyllum spicatum
Myriophyllum spicatum is a species of Myriophyllum native to Europe, Asia, and north Africa. It is a submerged aquatic plant, and grows in still or slow-moving water.-Description:...
) were the dominant weed species in the lake. Eurasian watermilfoil is an introduced species that is difficult to control due to its ability to survive in various environmental conditions. At one point the watermilfoil covered 2.4 square kilometres (593.1 acre) of the lake, impairing its recreational and commercial uses.
Researchers from Middlebury College, working under contract for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation introduced a native aquatic weevil
Weevil
A weevil is any beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are usually small, less than , and herbivorous. There are over 60,000 species in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae...
, (Euhrychiopsis lecontei
Euhrychiopsis lecontei
Euhrychiopsis lecontei is a type of weevil that has been investigated as a potential biocontrol agent for Eurasian water milfoil . It is found in the eastern and central United States and western Canada .-Life cycle:...
), to help combat the problem. Other treatments such as chemical treatment with the aquatic herbicide Sonar* have been used at other lakes.
In recent years, zebra mussels have been introduced to Lake Bomoseen after many years of attempted prevention. The mussels are clearly visible on the bottom of the lake around the shoreline and have visibly restricted the growth of watermilfoil.