Belgrade Lakes
| East Pond | |
|---|---|
| Location | Maine |
| Coordinates | 44°38′N 69°47′W / 44.633°N 69.783°W |
| Max. length | 2.9 mi (4.7 km) |
| Surface area | 1,717 acres (695 ha) |
| Max. depth | 27 feet (8.2 m) |
| Water volume | 27,307 acre·ft (33,683,000 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 263 ft (80 m) |
| North Pond | |
|---|---|
| Location | Maine |
| Coordinates | 44°38′N 69°51′W / 44.633°N 69.850°W |
| Max. length | 3 mi (4.8 km) |
| Surface area | 2,531 acres (1,024 ha) |
| Max. depth | 20 feet (6.1 m) |
| Water volume | 1,662 acre·ft (2,050,000 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 253 ft (77 m) |
| Long Pond | |
|---|---|
| Location | Kennebec County |
| Coordinates | 44°32′N 69°54′W / 44.533°N 69.900°W |
| Max. length | 7.2 mi (11.6 km) |
| Surface area | 2,557 acres (1,035 ha) |
| Max. depth | 106 ft (32 m) |
| Water volume | 73,165 acre·ft (90,248,000 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 237 ft (72 m) |
The Belgrade Lakes are a chain of lakes around Belgrade, Maine. The flow sequence is from East Pond to North Pond to Great Pond to Long Pond to Messalonskee Lake and thence via Messalonskee Stream to the Kennebec River at Waterville. The lakes have long been an important resort area for fishing, boating, and swimming; and shoreline development includes residences for individuals employed in the cities of Waterville and Augusta.
East Pond is the headwater pond of the Belgrade chain of lakes. The south end of the pond is in Oakland, and the north end of the pond in Smithfield overflows westward approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) through the village of Smithfield into the east side of North Pond. Algal blooms have been observed since the 1990s for about a week in June and again through the last month of summer.
Weedy North Pond covers the boundary of Smithfield to the east, Mercer to the northwest, and Rome to the southwest. It is the shallowest lake of the chain. North Pond tributaries include Sucker Brook and Clark Brook joining the overflow from East Pond, and Leech Brook, Bog Brook and Pattee Brook flowing into the north end of the pond. There is a public boat launch area near the outlet of Bog Brook. The south end of North Pond overflows through Great Meadow Stream, which forms the eastern border of Rome and western border of Oakland and Belgrade for approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) before reaching the northwestern bay of Great Pond.
At 8,239 acres (3,334 ha), Great Pond is the largest of the Belgrade Lakes and forms the boundary between Rome to the north and Belgrade to the south. Tributaries Rome Trout Brook and Robbins Mill Stream enter the north end of Great Pond. Great Pond overflows westward approximately 1 kilometre (1,100 yd) to the east side of Long Pond north of the narrows. Although Great Pond is more than twice as deep as the previous lakes in the chain, it similarly becomes uniformly warm through the summer and unsuitable for native trout or salmon.
The northern basin of Long Pond in Rome is of similar depth as Great Pond, but the basin forming the western boundary of Belgrade and eastern boundary of Mount Vernon south of the narrows is fifty percent deeper with cooler deep waters. There is a public boat launch area at the south end of the narrows. Tributaries Whittier Brook and Beaver Brook drain Whittier Pond, Beaver Pond, Watson Pond, Round Pond, Kidder Pond, and McIntire Pond into the northern basin of Long Pond. Stony Brook and Ingham Stream drain Moose Pond and Ingham Pond into the southern basin. The south end of Long Pond overflows through Belgrade Stream which reaches the south end of Messalonskee Lake after flowing 9 miles (14 km) eastward.
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