Mascoma Lake is a lake in western

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, United States. Most of the lake is within the town of Enfield, while a small portion is within the city of

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, where it drains into the

Mascoma River The Mascoma River is a river in western New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River, which flows to Long Island Sound. The Mascoma comprises two sections which are split by Mascoma Lake in the communities of E ...

, a tributary of the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...

. The lake's general trend is from southeast to northwest, with the outlet at the northwestern end. The Mascoma River enters the lake near its halfway point, from the northeastern side, at the town center of Enfield. The southeastern end of the lake is fed by the Knox River. The lake's average depth is with a maximum depth of . The lake freezes during winter and is stable enough to be walked upon. Ice fishing is popular on the lake. The lake is stocked with trout by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Mascoma Lake often has a spring

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria ( ) are a group of autotrophic gram-negative bacteria that can obtain biological energy via oxygenic photosynthesis. The name "cyanobacteria" () refers to their bluish green (cyan) color, which forms the basis of cyanobacteri ...

bloom. Recent studies suggest that significant exposure to high levels of cyanobacteria producing toxins such as BMAA can cause

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, Terminal illness, terminal neurodegenerative disease, neurodegenerative disorder that results i ...

(ALS). People living within half a mile of cyanobacterially contaminated lakes have had a 2.3 times greater risk of developing ALS than the rest of the population; people around Lake Mascoma had an up to 25 times greater risk of ALS than the expected incidence. In June 2009 the State of New Hampshire discouraged people from recreation in some areas of the lake because of the bloom. Aside from the bloom, the lake is generally considered safe for swimming, and the town of Enfield maintains a public beach with a lifeguard on the lake.

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

and its partners have used the frozen lake to test a robotic rover as a simulation of

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

. Mascoma Lake is home to the

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...

sailing team. A community sailing club called the Mascoma Sailing ClubMascoma Sailing Club
/ref> also uses the lake.

References

{{Connecticut River Lakes of Grafton County, New Hampshire New Hampshire placenames of Native American origin

See also

References