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What kind of water is in Lake Drummond?
freshwater lakes
Lake Drummond is one of only two natural freshwater lakes found across the entire state of Virginia. It’s also the main water supply for the Dismal Swamp Canal, a historic waterway that connects southeastern Virginia to northeastern North Carolina.
Is Lake Drummond surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean?
Geologically, Lake Drummond is an unusually large (3,108 acre) open body of water on the Coastal Plain, east of the Suffolk Scarp. The scarp marks the location of the Atlantic Ocean shoreline and barrier islands roughly 125,000 years ago, comparable to Daytona Beach in Florida today.
Which is bigger Great Dismal Swamp or Lake Drummond?
As a result, the Great Dismal Swamp is roughly 50% of its original extent. Lake Drummond, originally about 15′ deep, is now 6′ deep.
Are there fish in Lake Drummond?
The lake has crappie, yellow perch, chain pickerel, flier, and bullhead catfish. Its best sport fishing is for crappie during the spring. Bowfin and longnose gar are the most abundant predator species in the lake.
How did Lake Drummond form?
Some postulate that it was created by a large underground peat fire 3,500–6,000 years ago. Native American legends speak of “the fire bird” creating Lake Drummond. Other theories include a meteorite impact and a tectonic shift. Lake Drummond is one of only two natural freshwater lakes in Virginia.
Can you swim in the Great Dismal Swamp?
Swimming, camping, and fires are also prohibited on the refuge. Vault restroom facilities are located at the Jericho and Washington Ditch parking areas. Pets must be leashed at all times.
Do alligators live in the Great Dismal Swamp?
In the past, the range of American Alligators extended just up into Virginia, mostly in the area of the Great Dismal Swamp. Though they have not returned to Virginia just yet, American Alligators can be found from Florida to North Carolina, just shy of the VA border.
What lives in Lake Drummond?
The lake is home to several species of fish, including mud sunfish, yellow perch, brown and yellow bullhead catfish, bowfin, and crappie. Contrary to popular myth, there are no alligators in the lake.
Where is Lake Drummond in the United States?
Mountain Lake is the other. Lake Drummond is a freshwater lake at the center of the Great Dismal Swamp, a marshy region on the Coastal Plain of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina between Norfolk, Virginia, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in the United States.
What is the pH level of Lake Drummond?
Historic and scenic Lake Drummond is bowl-shaped with acid-stained water, due to the organic acids leaching into the water from surrounding swamp and peat soils. The lake pH normally ranges from four to five.
Why was the Lake Drummond swamp so big?
Several centuries of exploitation and logging reduced the swamp to about 50% of its original size. It was common practice for merchant ships of the time to fill up water casks with the dark-stained water from Lake Drummond. With its high tannin content, the water stayed fresher longer on trans- Atlantic voyages than water from other sources.
What kind of fish live in Lake Drummond?
This low pH severely limits the species of fish found there; the low nutrient levels limit the fish biomass. The lake has crappie, yellow perch, chain pickerel, flier, and bullhead catfish.