Lake Quannapowitt

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Lake Quannapowitt

Location	Wakefield, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°31′18″N, 71°04′42″WCoordinates: 42°31′18″N, 71°04′42″W
Primary outflows	Saugus River
Basin countries	United States

Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield, Massachusetts is a popular setting for walkers, joggers, bikers, and rollerbladers off Route 128 in Middlesex County. It is the site of many organized races from 5Ks to Ultra Marathons. Since 1992 Friends of Lake Quannapowitt is an organization that has worked to fulfill its goal of promoting public awareness and providing long-term protection and enhancement of Lake Quannapowitt and its environs. Large amounts of tar were found in the lake some years ago. The lake is emptied by the Saugus River.

Lake Quannapowitt, which was originally known as Reading Pond, has numerous nicknames today. Some Wakefield natives claim that local residents refer to the lake as "Lake Quannapolluted" due to their view of the state of health of the lake, but The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has only one isolated open case of contamination from the electric company that has a funded clean up program with a 2008 completion date. The two former beaches remain closed to swimming.
The lake has active populations of warmwater species of fish. Other people however, tend to butcher the name of the lake by calling it: Lake Quanapatictic, Lake Quanapalooza, and Lake Quannapasocket. The actual pronunciation has yet to be determined.