Type Oxbow lake Surface area 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) Surface elevation 29 m | Primary outflows Washington Bayou Area 20.23 km² | |
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Location Washington County, Mississippi Average depth 6 ft (1.8 m) to 22 ft (6.7 m) Settlements Chatham, Erwin, Glen Allan Reference Geographic Names Information System Cities Glen Allan, Mississippi, Chatham, Mississippi | ||
Lake Washington is an oxbow lake in Washington County, Mississippi, United States.
Contents
Map of Lake Washington, Mississippi 38731, USA
Once part of the contiguous Mississippi River, Lake Washington formed when the river changed its course about 1300 AD.
CharacteristicsEdit
Lake vegetation includes duckweed and cypress trees.
Fish species found in Lake Washington include bowfin, bream (bluegill), buffalo, bullhead, carp, channel catfish, crappie, drum, flathead catfish, gar, green sunfish, hybrid white bass, largemouth bass, minnows, silversides and yellow bass.
HistoryEdit
The first permanent residence in Washington County was located on Lake Washington. P.L. Mann, a political figure and wealthy planter, built a mansion on the east shore of the lake before the Civil War. The home currently located on the site, Linden, was erected in 1914 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (HRHP).
Another pre-Civil War mansion, Mount Holly, constructed on the east shore of Lake Washington, is also listed on the NRHP.
The Law House, an impressive mansion overlooking the lake built in 1902, was ordered as a kit from the Sears & Roebuck Company, and was used in the filming of the 2012 movie Haunted.
Roy's Store is located on the north shore of the lake, and is noted for being in business at that location for over 100 years.
PollutionEdit
Most of the land surrounding Lake Washington is used extensively for agriculture. This has made the lake vulnerable to runoff of fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides. In 1973, the lake was closed to commercial fishing due to contamination, and in 1990, a blue-green algal bloom formed in the lake, which killed 14 dogs that drank from the water. Since then, extensive efforts have been made to reduce the lake's pollution.