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Friday, September 13, 2013

Quabbin Reservoir, Belchertown, Massachusetts, USA

I was struck by the visual drama of these clouds over the southern end of the western "finger" (map below) of the Quabbin Reservoir.  The Quabbin is the main source of drinking water for Boston and more than 40 other area communities.  It was built between 1930-39 and required the closing, flooding, and relocating of four affected towns - of course over the strong but futile objection of the town residents. Quabbin means the "meeting of many waters" to the Native Americans who originally inhabited the area.


This view is just one of the "fingers" of the huge reservoir. The reservoir covers 39 square miles, has an average depth of 45 feet, and can hold more than 400 billion gallons of water when full.  The accessible adjacent parkland looks like a spectacular place to wander around for a few hours - I wish I had spent more time there.


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