By Susan Boser, Extension Educator 

Pennsylvania is fortunate to have thousands of ponds and lakes dotting its landscape. Many were originally constructed for agricultural or fire protection purposes but now serve their owners as an aesthetic part of the landscape.

Ponds are generally described as being less than one acre in size, while a lake is larger than this. 

In Pennsylvania, of the more than 2,500 water bodies classified as "lakes," there are only about 50 natural, glacial lakes, with the vast majority of those found in northeastern PA in the Pocono Mountains.

Of course, we also share a northwest border with Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes, but there are other lakes to take note of in our state:

Conneaut Lake, located in Crawford County is the largest natural and deepest lake in Pennsylvania. It has a surface area of approximately 925 acres and is 75ft deep, at its deepest point.

Raystown Lake is the largest man-made lake built by the Army Corps of Engineers in Pennsylvania and located in Huntingdon County. The lake spans 8,300 acres and is part of a 29,000 acre project that serves as a home for recreation in the area.

In addition to recreation, Pennsylvania lakes serve as havens for abundant fish and wildlife populations including waterfowl, shore birds, and birds of prey like bald eagles and osprey just to name a few. 

If you are fortunate enough to have a lake on your property you know that their unique ecology can sometimes make management difficult, but the benefits are also plentiful.

Extension offers many pond and lake management resources.

In addition the PA Lake Management Society provides additional resources for lake management, restoration, and protection.

Enjoy and appreciate our Pennsylvania lakes!!

(Photo: PA Lake Management Society.)

Resource Links:

-- Interpreting Water Tests For Ponds And Lakes

-- Getting To Know Your Pond [Video]

-- A Field Guide To Common Aquatic Plants of Pennsylvania

-- Become A Master Watershed Steward

-- Ask A Master Watershed Steward

Upcoming Events:

-- August 2: Outdoor Day Camp For Youth 8-14, Jefferson County

-- August 18: Tap Talks: The Progress Of Ecological Restoration, York, PA

-- October 4: Community Science Tool Webinar - First Investigation Of Stream Health

(Reprinted from the latest Watershed Winds newsletter.  Click Here to sign up for your own copy.)

Related Articles:

-- Penn State Master Watershed Stewards Install Downspout Planters, Naturalize Stormwater Basins, Plant Live Stake Nursery With KPB, The GIANT Company Healing The Planet Grant  [PaEN]

-- StateImpactPA: What To Know About DEP’s Newest Plan To Reduce Pollution To The Chesapeake Bay

-- Stroud Water Research Center: Teen's Experiment To Monitor Local Water Quality Wins At Science Fair  [PaEN]

-- Call For Presentations: Bucknell University's 17th River Symposium Nov. 4-5  [PaEN]

-- Pike/Wayne County Homeowner Environmental Resource Fair July 29  [PaEN]

[Posted: July 26, 2022]

8/1/2022