Sebago Lake

Sebago Lake
Location of Sebago Lake in Maine, USA.
Location of Sebago Lake in Maine, USA.
Sebago Lake
Location of Sebago Lake in Maine, USA.
Location of Sebago Lake in Maine, USA.
Sebago Lake
LocationCumberland County, Maine
Coordinates43°51′N 70°34′W / 43.850°N 70.567°W / 43.850; -70.567
Lake typeoligotrophic
Primary outflowsPresumpscot River
Catchment area440 square miles (1,100 km2)[1]
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length12 mi (19 km)
Surface area30,513 acres (12,348 ha)[1]
Average depth107 ft (33 m)[1]
Max. depth316 ft (96 m)[1]
Water volume3,224,233 acre⋅ft (3.977033×109 m3)[1]
Residence time5.1 to 5.4 yrs
Shore length1105 miles (169 km)[2]
Surface elevation267 ft (81 m)[1]
IslandsFrye Island
SettlementsCasco, Naples, Raymond, Sebago, Standish and Windham
References[1]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.
Steamboat Landing in c. 1910

Sebago Lake (Sih-Bay-Goh) is the deepest and second-largest lake in the U.S. state of Maine. The lake is 316 feet (96 m) deep at its deepest point, with a mean depth of 101 feet (31 m). It is possible that Sebago is the deepest lake wholly contained within the entire New England region, although some sources say that Vermont's Lake Willoughby is slightly deeper. Along with Lake Champlain, Sebago is one of the only lakes in the area that does not consistently freeze solid during the winter months, with total ice cover only occurring for a short period of time every few winters. Sebago covers about 45 square miles (117 km2) in surface area, has a length of 14 miles (23 km) and has a shoreline length of roughly 105 miles (169 km).[2] The surface is around 270 feet (82 m) above sea level, so the deep bottom is below the present sea level.[3] It is in Cumberland County, and bordered by the towns of Casco, Naples, Raymond, Sebago, Standish and Windham. The seasonally occupied town of Frye Island is on an island in the lake. Sebago Lake and the surrounding area is known for its erratic and sudden changes in weather during all seasons, likely due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and to Mt. Washington, a very notorious extreme weather hotspot. The name comes from the Abenaki sobagoo, meaning "it is the sea" or "it resembles the sea".[4]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Maine Depts. of Environmental Protection and Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. "Maine Lakes: Morphometry and Geographic Information". Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research, The University of Maine. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved July 31, 2008.
  2. ^ a b "Sebago Lake". Portland Water District, Portland Maine. Retrieved May 5, 2006.
  3. ^ "Why is Sebago Lake so deep?". Maine Geological Survey, Department of Conservation, State of Maine. Retrieved 2017-12-22.
  4. ^ Laurent, Joseph (1884). New Familiar Abenakis and English Dialogues.

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