Goose Pond

Goose Pond is a 625acre water body located in Grafton County in western New Hampshire, United States, in the towns of Canaan and Hanover. It is considered a great pond by the state of New Hampshire. The lake has of shoreline, and is approximately 3mi long by 0.5mi wide. All but the northernmost end of the pond is in the town of Canaan. The average depth of the pond is approximately, with the deepest part approximately. The lake is part of the Mascoma River watershed, flowing to the Connecticut River.There is evidence of Goose Pond in the late 1700s. According to legend, George Harris and his party in 1767 came upon a sheet of water near Hanover, whose surface seemed to be alive with wild geese and ducks. They killed a goose - an old one - and cooked it all day, and then it was tough. It never got to be a tender goose, and to commemorate this circumstance they named that water "Goose Pond."A small wooden dam was built in 1899 which probably increased the size of the pond. The present dam was built in 1917-18 and was repaired in 1952 and 1990. It has served as an energy reserve for the Lebanon mills, and for hydroelectric plants. New Hampshire Water Resources currently holds the rights, and still sells waterpower once a year in a draw-down, generating funds to maintain the dam. The pond continues to serve as an important recreational, scenic, and ecological resource in the Mascoma River watershed.