Lake Galena | |
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Location | New Britain Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA |
Lake type | reservoir |
Primary inflows | Neshaminy Creek |
Primary outflows | Neshaminy Creek |
Basin countries | United States |
Max. length | 1.78 miles |
Max. width | 0.44 miles |
Surface area | 365 acres (1.5 km2) |
Lake Galena is a reservoir in Peace Valley Park, Pennsylvania, in the United States, created in 1974[1]by the damming of the north branch of the Neshaminy Creek.
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Lake Galena in its current form was created when the county (Bucks) flooded the lake in 1972. Before that time, much of the lakebed had been part of the village of Leven, the economy of which was based largely on lead ore (galena) mining[2]. Mining of galena (in addition to small amounts of zinc, silver, copper and gold[2]) had been mildly successful since the property was purchased in 1861.
A marker was erected in 1998 to commemorate the area's history[2].
The lake is supplemented by water from the Delaware River Point Pleasant Diversion Project for the purpose of providing cooling water for the PECO-owned Limerick Nuclear Power Plant and augmenting public drinking water supplies for approximately 150,000 people[1]. The water supply intake is downstream of the dam at the confluence of Pine Creek and North Branch Neshaminy Creek.
Lake Galena is surrounded on all sides by Peace Valley Park. An area of outstanding natural beauty, the park has a number of trails around the perimeter for walkers, cyclists and riders. Other activities include canoeing, fishing, and sailing. The distance around the lake is approximately 6 miles (9.65 km), and an annual "Friends of the Dove" 10K race is held at the lake every fall.