Lake Zoar is a
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
on the
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River ( ) is a river, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United S ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
. It was formed by the completion of the
Stevenson Dam
The Stevenson Dam Hydroelectric Plant is a hydroelectric power plant located on the Housatonic River at the boundary between the towns of Monroe and Oxford, Connecticut. The Connecticut Light and Power Company began construction in 1917 (complet ...
, which flooded an area of Oxford and Stevenson named "Pleasantvale" or "Pleasant Vale". The
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
s of
Monroe,
Newtown,
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, and
Southbury border Lake Zoar. The name Zoar originates from corner of Newtown and Monroe that once called itself Zoar after the Biblical city Zoara near the Dead Sea.
Lake Zoar Authority
The Lake Zoar Authority (LZA) is an organization for promoting safety on the lake and improving water quality. The members represent the four towns bordering the lake and meet on a monthly basis. Authority is granted through the Connecticut General Statutes, section 7-151a (of the 1969 supplement).
Notable events
*1984: Joyce Stochmal, 19, murdered and her body dumped into the lake.
*November 1986: Richard Crafts murdered his wife
Helle Crafts in Newtown, froze the body, cut it up with a chainsaw and finally put it through a woodchipper from a bridge into the lake.
*September 7, 2005: A 37-year-old man named Frank Northrop died while water-skiing on the lake.
*July 17, 2007: Bonnie Thayer, 64, found dead by a scuba diver due to suicide by drowning after her disappearance in July 2005.
*July 6, 2011: 6 Easton, Trumbull, and Burlington residents injured in boat crash.
* July 2017: Randall Pineau, 52, hit and killed by a ski boat.
Recreation
Boating
There is a
speed limit
Speed limits on road traffic, as used in most countries, set the legal maximum speed at which vehicles may travel on a given stretch of road. Speed limits are generally indicated on a traffic sign reflecting the maximum permitted speed - expres ...
of limit daytime, from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise. Vessels are prohibited from approaching within on upstream side or on downstream side of Stevenson Dam.
Activities including
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
,
water-skiing
Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on two skis or one ski. The sport requires suffic ...
and
jet ski
Jet Ski is the brand name of a personal watercraft (PWC) manufactured by Kawasaki, a Japanese company. The term is often used generically to refer to any type of personal watercraft used mainly for recreation, and it is also used as a verb to ...
ing are permitted.
Access
Each of the towns has a public access boat launch. The Southbury location is maintained by the state of Connecticut and is open to non-town residents. Additionally, there is canoe access from
Kettletown State Park.
* Monroe, Zoar Beach Boat Ramp.
* Newtown, Eichler's Cove.
* Oxford, Jackson Cove Park.
* Southbury, at the end of Scout Road.
Sand Bar
The Sand Bar is an accumulation of sand close to the center of Lake Zoar. It is a popular meeting destination for all boaters alike. The depth of the water above the sand bar varies upon the generation schedule of "First Light Hydro Generation." The depth varies from 6 inches of water at its most shallow point to a foot before receiving. The area stretches about a quarter.
Fishing
Lake Zoar is not stocked yearly with fish by the
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is a state agency in the US state of Connecticut. The department oversees the state's natural resources and environment and regulates public utilities and energy policy. It ...
, but the Pootatuck and Pomperaug rivers feed into it are heavily stocked with trout, many of which eventually make their way into the lake.
Fish species
The lake contains the desirable
Smallmouth Bass,
Largemouth Bass
The largemouth bass (''Micropterus salmoides'') is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae ( sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but ...
,
Northern Pike
The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a ...
,
White Perch
The white perch (''Morone americana'') is not a true perch but is a fish of the temperate bass family, Moronidae, notable as a food and game fish in eastern North America. In some places it is referred to as "Silver Bass".
The name "White perc ...
,
Yellow Perch
The yellow perch (''Perca flavescens''), commonly referred to as perch, striped perch, American perch, American river perch or preacher is a freshwater perciform fish native to much of North America. The yellow perch was described in 1814 by Samu ...
,
Calico Bass (Black Crappie),
White Catfish (Ictalurus catus),
Brown Bullhead
The brown bullhead (''Ameiurus nebulosus'') is a fish of the family Ictaluridae that is widely distributed in North America. It is a species of bullhead catfish and is similar to the black bullhead (''Ameiurus melas'') and yellow bullhead (''Ame ...
,
Rainbow Trout
The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...
, and the
Common Carp
The Eurasian carp or European carp (''Cyprinus carpio''), widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia.Fishbase''Cyprinus carpio'' Linnaeus, 1758/ref>Arkive The ...
.
PCBs and fish consumption
Until the chemical was banned in the 70s, the
Pittsfield, Mass.
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
Factory routinely dumped
PCBs
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are highly carcinogenic chemical compounds, formerly used in industrial and consumer products, whose production was banned in the United States by the Toxic Substances Control Act in 1979 and internationally by t ...
into the Housatonic. Trout, catfish,
eel
Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...
, carp, or northern pike from Lake Zoar are unsafe for consumption while yellow perch, calico bass,
rock bass
The rock bass (''Ambloplites rupestris''), also known as the rock perch, goggle-eye, red eye, and black perch, is a freshwater fish native to east-central North America. This red eyed creature is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish fa ...
,
bluegill
The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and ...
, and sunfish can be eaten sparingly and bass should be avoided by high-risk groups. In a 2008 study by the
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...
Smallmouth Bass varied between 0.35 and 0.58 ppm, suitable for one meal per month. PCB levels in the lake have fallen considerably since the 1980s.
Invasive species
Four invasive plant species exist in the lake as of a 2007 study, including
Eurasian watermilfoil
''Myriophyllum spicatum'' (Eurasian watermilfoil or spiked water-milfoil) is native to Europe, Asia, and north Africa, but has a wide geographic and climatic distribution among some 57 countries, extending from northern Canada to South Africa. It ...
,
Brittle waternymph,
Curly leaf pondweed
Curly is a surname, given name, nickname or stage name. It may refer to:
First name, nickname or stage name
* Crazy Horse (1840–1877), Oglala Sioux war chief nicknamed "Curly"
* Curly (scout), nickname of Ashishishe (c. 1856–1923), Crow In ...
, and
European waterclover.
As with all the Housatonic River impoundments south of Bulls Bridge, Zebra Mussels have invaded and colonized Lake Zoar.
Hiking
The
Zoar Trail is a
Blue-Blazed Trail in Newtown maintained by the
Connecticut Forest and Park Association.
References
{{authority control
Monroe, Connecticut
Newtown, Connecticut
Oxford, Connecticut
Southbury, Connecticut
Zoar
Protected areas of Fairfield County, Connecticut
Protected areas of New Haven County, Connecticut
Zoar
Zoar
1919 establishments in Connecticut