Quabbin Reservoir

 lake, reservoir, dam

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A large man-made reservoir built in the 1930s and 1940s to supply water to the Boston metropolitan area. Four towns Enfield, Greenwich, Dana, and Prescott) were removed in order to build the reservoir, which flooded the entire valley. The Swift River and its branches were impounded by the Goudnough Dike and Winsor Dam at the southern end, filling the Quabbin Reservoir to a capacity of 412 billion gallons.

Spillage over the dam keeps the Swift River flowing until it empties into the Ware River, which empties into the Quaboag/Chicopee River, which then empties into the Connecticut River.

The Quabbin connects via underground aqueduct to Wachusett Reservoir in West Boylston, MA, adding water from the Ware River during high flowage.

Much of the land around the Reservoir is preserved as the Quabbin Park at the southern end and the Quabbin Reservation on the west, north, and east sides, and private property in the remainder of the watershed is subject to environmental restrictions.