Tully Lake, of

Royalston, Massachusetts Royalston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,250 at the 2020 census. History Royalston is a small town in the North Quabbin area of northwestern-central Massachusetts. It was named after Isaac ...

, is a reservoir and

flood control Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water level ...

project constructed by the

United States Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

(USACE) in 1949 for 1.6 million dollars. The project prevents flooding of the greater Connecticut River and

Millers River The Millers River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in northern Massachusetts, originating in Ashburnham and joining the Connecticut River just ...

valleys and provides a variety of recreational opportunities, including a campground operated by The Trustees of Reservations. Tully Lake is an important link in the

Tully Trail The Tully Trail is a scenic loop trail located in the towns of Royalston, Orange, and Warwick, Massachusetts near the New Hampshire border. The route crosses several ledges with sweeping views of the surrounding rural countryside and passes thre ...

Flood control

As of 2007, the USACE reported that Tully Lake had prevented an estimated $26 million in flood damages. The dam's capacity is of water; it can contain 7.72 inches of rainfall runoff and has a downstream channel capacity of . The closest the lake has come to capacity was in 1987, when it rose to 62%.

Recreation

Tully Lake is open to fishing, small boats, hiking, cross country skiing, mountain biking, picnicking, hunting (in season), and swimming. Motor vehicles are not allowed on the property. The USACE maintains a disc golf course, a mountain bike trail, and a picnic area. The Trustees of Reservations, a non-profit conservation organization, operates a 35 site tent-only camping facility on Tully Lake, open seasonally. The Tully Trail, a recreational trail cooperatively managed by the USACE, TTOR, the

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

, and the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, runs along the northern shore of Tully Lake. The trail passes by

Doane's Falls Doane's Falls is a series of five waterfalls located in Royalston, Massachusetts along an section of Lawrence Brook, a tributary of the Millers River that originates from Laurel Lake in Fitzwilliam. The falls are part of a open space preserve ...

Jacobs Hill Jacobs Hill is a open space preserve in Royalston, Massachusetts acquired in 1975 by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations. The preserve includes scenic vistas, ledges, woodlands, a northern bog, and Spirit Fa ...

, and

Royalston Falls Royalston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,250 at the 2020 census. History Royalston is a small town in the North Quabbin area of northwestern-central Massachusetts. It was named after Isaac ...

, and traverses the summit of

Tully Mountain Tully Mountain, , is a prominent, steep-sided monadnock located in north central Massachusetts in the town of Orange. It is part of the Tully Mountain Wilderness Management Area. An exposed east facing ledge on the summit provides views of the ...

Flood control

Recreation

References

External links