Lake Cochichewick

Lake in North Andover, Massachusetts

42°42′14″N 71°05′50″W / 42.70389°N 71.09722°W / 42.70389; -71.09722TypelakePrimary inflowsWeir Hill and other local uplandsPrimary outflowsCochichewick RiverBasin countriesUnited StatesSurface elevation112 ft (34 m)^[1]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lake Cochichewick.

Lake Cochichewick is a lake in North Andover, Massachusetts that collects water from Weir Hill and other local uplands. Its overflow drains into the Cochichewick River, which joins the Merrimack. Brooks School, a private co-educational prep school, is located on the shores of the lake.

Etymology

The name for Lake Cochichewick reportedly comes from the Pennacook word for "dashing stream" or "place of the great cascade" and during the early years of Andover it was called "The Great Pond".^[2]^[3]

Public access restrictions

For the past century, Lake Cochichewick has been North Andover's main supply of drinking water and public access to the lake was forbidden. In May 2002, however, the town began issuing boating permits:

Certain watercraft are allowed and must be designed to be manually propelled, by oars or paddles. Rowing shells, johnboats, dinghies, rowboats, canoes and kayaks are acceptable as long as the occupants are isolated from contact with the lake. Boats must not have any thru-holes (e.g. self-bailers) that would allow contact between the occupants and the lake water. Electric motors are acceptable as an alternate form of propulsion. The maximum length of a motorized craft is 15 feet. Inflatable boats, windsurfers and seaplanes are not allowed. No domestic animals are allowed to be in boats, on the ice, or in the water at any time.^[4]

Swimming is not allowed on Lake Cochichewick, neither for humans nor dogs. The town has posted signs along the trails near the lake informing hikers that it is used for drinking water, and that swimming is punishable with a $50 fine.^[5]

Public health issues

As the Merrimack Valley was once highly industrialized, there has been concern about the levels of contaminants such as mercury in Lake Cochichewick and other local waters. However, recent tests have shown a significant drop in mercury levels in fish such as yellow perch and largemouth bass. A spokesperson for the state Department of Environmental Protection said:

[O]bviously the move to severely restrict mercury emissions from trash incinerators as well as closing down all state medical waste incinerators really has had a positive impact. ... It takes a long time for mercury to build up in the environment, and our thought is that it will take quite a bit of time to leave the environment. ... This is showing us that in a relatively short period of time we can have some dramatic reductions.^[6]

References

^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Cochichewick
^ Bair, Diane; Wright, Pamela (2006). Snowshoe Routes: New England. The Mountaineers Books. p. 192. ISBN 978-1594851452. Retrieved 2018-01-31.
^ Ashley, Leonard R. N. (1989). What's in a Name?: Everything You Wanted to Know. Genealogical Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0806312613. Retrieved 2018-01-31.
^ "Town of North Andover, MA - Boating, Permits, & Restrictions". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-03-04.
^ "Town cracks down on swimming in Lake Cochichewick", Eagle-Tribune, August 5, 2010
^ "Reversing the damage: State study finds mercury levels dropping", Eagle-Tribune, April 06, 2006 Archived September 3, 2012, at archive.today

External links

Map of Lake Cochichewick Trails

Merrimack River watershed

Tributaries

Massachusetts	Artichoke River Assabet River Back River Beaver Brook Cochichewick River Concord River Little River Merrimack River Nashua River Nissitissit River North Nashua River Phillips Brook Powwow River Quinapoxet River Salmon Brook Shawsheen River South Branch Souhegan River South Nashua River Spicket River Squannacook River Stillwater River Stony Brook Sudbury River Trout Brook Vine Brook Whitman River
New Hampshire	Baboosic Brook Back River Baker River Bear Brook Beards Brook Beaver Brook Beebe River Big River Black Brook Blackwater River Cockermouth River Cohas Brook Contoocook River East Branch Baker River East Branch Pemigewasset River Fowler River Frazier Brook Gridley River Gunstock River Lane River Little River (Big River) Little River (Merrimack River) Little Massabesic Brook-Sucker Brook Little Suncook River Lost River Mad River Melvin River Merrimack River Merrymeeting River Middle Branch Piscataquog River Moosilauke Brook Nashua River Newfound River Nissitissit River North Branch Contoocook River North Fork East Branch Pemigewasset River Nubanusit Brook Pemigewasset River Pennichuck Brook Piscataquog River Powwow River Purgatory Brook Red Hill River Salmon Brook Shedd Brook Smith River Soucook River Souhegan River South Branch Baker River South Branch Piscataquog River South Branch Souhegan River Spicket River Squam River Stony Brook Suncook River Tioga River Turkey River Warner River West Branch Mad River West Branch Souhegan River West Branch Warner River Winnipesaukee River

Massachusetts

Artichoke River
Assabet River
Back River
Beaver Brook
Cochichewick River
Concord River
Little River
Merrimack River
Nashua River
Nissitissit River
North Nashua River
Phillips Brook
Powwow River
Quinapoxet River
Salmon Brook
Shawsheen River
South Branch Souhegan River
South Nashua River
Spicket River
Squannacook River
Stillwater River
Stony Brook
Sudbury River
Trout Brook
Vine Brook
Whitman River

New Hampshire

Baboosic Brook
Back River
Baker River
Bear Brook
Beards Brook
Beaver Brook
Beebe River
Big River
Black Brook
Blackwater River
Cockermouth River
Cohas Brook
Contoocook River
East Branch Baker River
East Branch Pemigewasset River
Fowler River
Frazier Brook
Gridley River
Gunstock River
Lane River
Little River (Big River)
Little River (Merrimack River)
Little Massabesic Brook-Sucker Brook
Little Suncook River
Lost River
Mad River
Melvin River
Merrimack River
Merrymeeting River
Middle Branch Piscataquog River
Moosilauke Brook
Nashua River
Newfound River
Nissitissit River
North Branch Contoocook River
North Fork East Branch Pemigewasset River
Nubanusit Brook
Pemigewasset River
Pennichuck Brook
Piscataquog River
Powwow River
Purgatory Brook
Red Hill River
Salmon Brook
Shedd Brook
Smith River
Soucook River
Souhegan River
South Branch Baker River
South Branch Piscataquog River
South Branch Souhegan River
Spicket River
Squam River
Stony Brook
Suncook River
Tioga River
Turkey River
Warner River
West Branch Mad River
West Branch Souhegan River
West Branch Warner River
Winnipesaukee River

Lakes

Massachusetts	Lake Attitash Lake Boon Lake Cochichewick Lake Cochituate Fairhaven Bay Haggetts Pond Lost Lake Lake Saltonstall Tuxbury Pond Wachusett Reservoir Walden Pond
New Hampshire	Arlington Mill Reservoir Ayers Island Reservoir Baboosic Lake Canobie Lake Cobbetts Pond Contoocook Lake Country Pond Crystal Lake (Gilmanton) Crystal Lake (Manchester) Deering Reservoir Franklin Pierce Lake Great Pond Halfmoon Lake Harrisville Pond Highland Lake Hopkins Pond (Adder Pond) Island Pond (Derry) Island Pond (Stoddard) Jenness Pond Lake Kanasatka Little Squam Lake Locke Lake Lonesome Lake Massabesic Lake Lake Massasecum Merrymeeting Lake Mirror Lake Newfound Lake Northwood Lake Nubanusit Lake Opechee Bay Paugus Bay Pemigewasset Lake Penacook Lake Pleasant Lake (Deerfield) Pleasant Lake (New London) Potanipo Pond Powder Mill Pond Powwow Pond Profile Lake Sebbins Pond Silver Lake (Hollis) Skatutakee Lake Lake Solitude Squam Lake Stinson Lake Suncook Lakes Sunset Lake Thorndike Pond Turkey Ponds Tuxbury Pond Lake Waukewan Weare Reservoir Webster Lake Lake Wentworth White Oak Pond Lake Wicwas Willard Pond Lake Winnipesaukee Lake Winnisquam

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

Towns

Massachusetts	Acton Amesbury Andover Ashland Bedford Billerica Burlington Chelmsford Clinton Concord Dracut Fitchburg Framingham Groton Groveland Haverhill Hopkinton Hudson Lawrence Leominster Lexington Lowell Lunenburg Marlborough Maynard Merrimac Methuen Newburyport North Andover Northborough Pepperell Salisbury Sudbury Tewksbury Tyngsborough West Newbury Westborough Westford
New Hampshire	Allenstown Amherst Ashland Atkinson Bedford Belmont Boscawen Bow Bridgewater Bristol Campton Canterbury Concord Derry Franklin Gilford Goffstown Hampstead Hill Hillsborough Holderness Hollis Hooksett Hopkinton Hudson Kingston Laconia Lincoln Litchfield Londonderry Manchester Meredith Merrimack Milford Nashua New Hampton Northfield Pelham Pembroke Penacook Peterborough Plaistow Plymouth Salem Sanbornton Suncook Thornton Tilton Weare Windham Wolfeboro Woodstock

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

Landmarks

Lakes and ponds of Massachusetts by drainage system

Lakes

Connecticut River Watershed	Lake Monomonac Lake Wyola
Housatonic River Watershed	Lake Buel Lake Garfield Lake Onota
Merrimack River Watershed	Fairhaven Bay Haggetts Pond Lake Attitash Lake Boon Lake Cochichewick Lake Cochituate Lake Saltonstall Lost Lake Walden Pond
Providence River Watershed	Lake Quinsigamond
Taunton River Watershed	Assonet Bay Lake Nippenicket Lake Rico Lake Sabbatia Long Pond Pocksha Pond
Others	Buffumville Lake Charge Pond Chebacco Lake Crystal Lake Follins Pond Hickory Hills Lake Indian Lake Lake Ashmere Lake Chaubunagungamaug Lake Massapoag Lake Quannapowitt Lewis Lake Mystic Lakes Pine Lake Prankers Pond Silver Lake Wallum Lake Wenham Lake Whites Pond

Ponds

Agawam River Watershed	Fawn Pond Glen Charlie Pond Halfway Pond Little Long Pond (Plymouth) Long Pond (Plymouth) Mill Pond (Wareham) Spectacle Pond (Wareham)
Connecticut River Watershed	Brooks Pond Browning Pond Quaboag Pond Thompson Pond
Eel River Watershed	Boot Pond Cooks Pond Forge Pond Great South Pond Gunners Exchange Pond Hoyts Pond Island Pond (Plymouth) Russell Millpond
Jones River Watershed	Crossman Pond Furnace Pond Harrobs Corner Bog Pond Indian Head Pond Lower Chandler Pond Maquan Pond Oldham Pond Pembroke Street South Pond Reeds Millpond Russell Pond Silver Lake Upper Chandler Pond West Chandler Pond
Mattapoisett River Watershed	Long Pond Snipatuit Pond
Merrimack River Watershed	Tuxbury Pond
Taunton River Watershed	Assawompset Pond Great Quittacas Pond Little Quittacas Pond Monponsett Pond Robbins Pond Tispaquin Pond Watson Pond Watuppa Ponds Winnecunnet Pond
Wankinco River Watershed	East Head Reservoir Parker Mills Pond Tihonet Pond
Others	Abner Pond Arnold School Pond Barrett Pond Bartlett Pond Bates Pond Beaver Dam Pond Big Rocky Pond Big Sandy Pond Billington Sea Black Jimmy Pond Bloody Pond Bullough's Pond Buckmaster Pond Campus Pond Cedar Pond Clay Pit Pond Cliff Pond College Pond Curlew Pond Deer Pond Dug Pond Dunham Pond Elbow Pond Ezekiel Pond Fairyland Pond Fearing Pond Federal Pond Five Mile Pond Flax Pond (Brewster) Fresh Meadow Pond Fresh Pond Fuller Street Pond Gallows Pond Great Herring Pond Great Island Pond Great Pond Hardy Pond Hedges Pond Higgins Pond Hocomonco Pond Horn Pond Houghton's Pond Indian Pond Island Creek Pond Island Pond (Cedarville) Jacobs Pond Jamaica Pond Keene Pond Kings Pond Lake Lashaway Learned Pond Leonards Pond Little Herring Pond Little Long Pond (Wareham) Little Pond Little Rocky Pond Little Sandy Bottom Pond Little Sandy Pond Little West Pond Long Duck Pond Long Island Pond Lout Pond Mary's Pond Mashpee and Wakeby Ponds Menemsha Pond Micajah Pond Mill Pond (Duxbury) Morey Hole Muddy Pond New Long Pond North Hill Marsh Pond North Triangle Pond Pine Street Pond Ponkapoag Pond Redd's Pond Rocky Pond Round Pond Sampsons Pond Sandy Pond Sargent's Pond Savery Pond Sawins Pond Scargo Lake Shallow Pond Ship Pond Shubael Pond Smelt Pond Smith Pool South Meadow Pond South Triangle Pond Spectacle Pond (Sandwich) Spring Pond Spy Pond Stetson Pond Studleys Pond Tremont Mill Pond Triangle Pond Union Pond Vaughn Pond Walker Pond Wampatuck Pond White Pond White Island Pond