US-MA-Quabbin+Reservoir--Gate+5

Also, see Quabbin Reservoir
 * =Birding in Massachusetts=

Hampshire County
=Quabbin Reservoir= =Gate 5= Old Enfield Road Belchertown, Massachusetts 01007 Quabbin Reservoir webpage Quabbin Reservoir map

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Quabbin Reservoir--Gate 5
Coordinates: 42.3051572, -72.3780511 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Tips for birding Quabbin Reservoir
Several of the many gates giving access to the reservoir are open for bicycling, and suitable for wheelchair birding. There is room for wheelchairs to get around the locked gates. Best birding gates are #29, #31, #35, #40, and #43. These are rich in wildlife from spring through fall, but are especially good for migrating Warblers, Thrushes, Flycatchers, Vireos, and other songbirds in April and May. At #35 ravens have nested for several years. If you can get as far as the open water of the reservoir (often half a mile or more), Common Loons, Horned Grebes, Scoters and Bald Eagles can be seen. From Athol Bird Club

About Quabbin Reservoir
Quabbin Reservoir is one of the largest constructed public water supplies in the United States. Created in the 1930s by the construction of two huge earthen dams, the reservoir is fed by the three branches of the Swift River, and seasonally by the Ware River. Quabbin's water covers 39 square miles, is 18 miles long and has 181 miles of shoreline. When full, Quabbin holds 412 billion gallons of water.

The New Salem and Enfield lookouts offer magnificent views of the reservoir. In order to flood the vast area of the Swift River Valley in the 1930s, the entire population of four towns had to be relocated. Hundreds of homes, businesses, a state highway, a railroad line, and 34 cemeteries were also moved or dismantled. Over 6,000 graves were relocated from the Valley to Quabbin Park Cemetery.

The Quabbin Visitor Center is open and staffed seven days a week through most of the year from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends (early November – early March) and 9:00 to 5:00 p.m. during Daylight Savings Time. The Center is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day, the weekend before and the weekend after Christmas. The Center may also close due to inclement weather.

Quabbin related materials, including brochures, maps, and books, are available at the Center, which is operated in cooperation with the Friends of Quabbin, Inc., a non-profit organization whose mission is to support the programs of the Visitor Center. There are exhibits, displays, and materials about Quabbin, its history, management, and role in the water supply system, as well as information on wildlife, recreation, and drinking water. Vital Records from the former Swift River Valley towns are housed at the Quabbin Administration Building and staff can assist visitors seeking genealogic information.

Groups interested in an orientation or program at the Quabbin Visitor Center as part of a visit to the reservoir can contact the staff prior to the event by calling the Center at (413) 323-7221. Although the Center is staffed seven days a week, there can be times when the staff is unavailable to meet with visitors. It is best to call ahead to make an appointment if you require staff time to ensure that someone will be available. From Quabbin Reservoir webpage

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