Lake Washington (Mississippi)

Lake Washington
Location	Washington County, Mississippi
Coordinates	33°04′00″N 91°02′48″W / 33.0667001°N 91.0467721°W / 33.0667001; -91.0467721Coordinates: 33°04′00″N 91°02′48″W / 33.0667001°N 91.0467721°W / 33.0667001; -91.0467721
Type	Oxbow lake
Primary outflows	Washington Bayou
Surface area	5,000 acres (2,000 ha)
Average depth	6 ft (1.8 m) to 22 ft (6.7 m)
Surface elevation	95 ft (29 m)
Settlements	Chatham, Erwin, Glen Allan
References	GNIS[1]

Lake Washington is an oxbow lake in Washington County, Mississippi, United States.

Once part of the contiguous Mississippi River, Lake Washington formed when the river changed its course about 1300 AD.^[2]

Characteristics

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.^[3]

History

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).^[4]

Another pre-Civil War mansion, Mount Holly, constructed on the east shore of Lake Washington, is also listed on the NRHP.^[5]

The Law House, an impressive mansion overlooking the lake built in 1902, was ordered as a kit from the Sears & Roebuck Company,^[6] 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.^[7]

Pollution

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,^[2] 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.^[8]

References