CWTA - New London County Water Trails - Bozrah



Connecticut Water Trails Association

Table Of Contents

Connecticut Water Trails

Connecticut Boat Launches

New London County Water Trails

New London County Boat Launches

Bozrah Boat Launches

Bozrah Water Trails

Montville Boat Launches

Montville Water Trails

Salem Boat Launches

Salem Water Trails

Connecticut Water Trails Program

Connecticut Water Trails

New London County

Bozrah

Gardner Lake

Site Location: Witter Road, Bozrah, Connecticut

Basic Information:

Gardner Lake, situated on the border between Bozrah, Montville, and Salem in southeastern Connecticut, is home to Gardner Lake State Park which is located on the lake’s south shore in Town of Salem. The park was added to the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) long list of park properties in 2001. The lake is natural in origin, though a 168 foot long earthen dam raises the water level 4 feet, bringing the average depth to 14 feet and providing a surface area of 529 acres. It reaches its deepest point at 39 feet near Minnie Island State Park, which is both the only island in the lake and Connecticut’s smallest state park at 0.88 acre.

Type: Lake

Water Type: Fresh

Season:

Site Contact Information:

Gardner Lake State Park c/o Gillette Castle State Park

67 River Road

East Haddam, Connecticut 06423

(860) 526-2336

Site Coordinates:

Longitude 72.227496 ºW Latitude 41.511087 ºN

Location Map:

USGS Quadrangle: Fitchville

Driving Directions:

Directions Map: Google Map

Gardner Lake

Boat Launch Information:

Gardner Lake Boat Launch

ADA Access:

Site Description:

Environment:

Additional Info:

Gardner Lake State Park

Minnie Island State Park

Longitude 72.2225 ºW Latitude 41.50583000000002 ºN

Site History:

The lake is named after the Gardner family, who originally owned much of the land in the area. In February of 1895, a grocer by the name of Thomas LeCount decided he wanted to move his house. Rather than dismantling and rebuilding it, he decided to wait until winter and pull his house across the lake. He got about 100 yards off the south shore of the lake when the house slipped into a large snow bank. Thomas could not right the house without breaking the ice. Eventually, he decided to leave it for the night and come back in the morning to solve the problem. Overnight, the mill operators drained some of the lake’s water for power. This caused the house to crack through the ice, pitching over at a steep angle. It stayed there until spring, and sank into 15 feet of water when the ice thawed. For many years the second story and attic remained above water looking much like a lighthouse. Children fished from it in the summer and skated through it in the winter. Some fishermen claim that on quiet nights they can hear mermaids playing the piano that sunk with the house.