Safe for Recreational use : 193.9' | What is this?
This is the current water level of Lake Lillinonah. Our safety indicator should be used as a guideline only; higher lake elevations cause more floating debris. Always use caution and watch out for floating debris when navigating Lake Lillinonah.
Safest: below 194'
Debris presence unlikely - safe for recreational use.
Caution: 194' to 195'
Debris possibly present - caution advised.
Use Extreme Caution: above 195'
Debris likely present - dangerous.
Friends of the LakeLake Lillinonah was created in 1955 out of the Housatonic River to produce hydroelectric power. It is the second-largest lake in Connecticut. Lake Lillinonah extends 12 miles to the Shepaug Dam, covering 1,900 acres to a maximum depth of 110 feet with 45 miles of shoreline, much of it steep hillside that rises 200 feet or more above the water line.
Two issues are of particular concern: Algae blooms on the lake and floating debris(floating trees, branches and man-made garbage) both of which are potentially hazardous. High nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the lake contribute to thick algae blooms during the warm months which render the lake impossible to use and present a potential hazard to humans and animals alike. Debris levels rise and fall with the water level. When the water level rises to 195 feet or more, debris chokes the lake.
Technology to be introduced to improve the health of the lake includes an electronic device, attached to a dock, which will collect data above and beneath the water on a variety of parameters, some examples of which are listed below. This will help Friends of the Lake and others understand the source of the nitrogen and phosphorus levels which erode the lake’s water quality. In addition, this data will be used by scientists and others around the world in the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) who are studying stress factors on freshwater lakes and the impact of climate change upon them. There are some 50 lakes around the world enrolled in GLEON. Lake Lillinonah will be the first in CT, the second in New England, enrolled.
In addition, a newly-developed iPhone app will give interested people who use the lake the ability to record lake conditions, including debris and algae blooms, which will then be uploaded to the FOTL website, www.friendsofthelake.org.
For more information on the algae blooms on the lake, Professor Jen Klug of Fairfield University is available as a contact. jklug@fairfield.edu.
Lake Lillinonah:
Length: 12 miles
Coverage: 1900 acres
Maximum Depth: 110 feet
Shoreline: 45 miles
Number of Bridges: 2
P.O. Box 403
Bridgewater, CT 06752
Tel: (860) 210-8064
Fax: (860) 210-9894
Visit the LLA website by clicking on the link below.
We’re working hard to clean up this lake for everyone.
Please show your support today.