Every Lake
Wachusett Reservoir
Built to drown four towns and quench Boston, finished in 1908.
- 9 ft · first step
- 18 ft
- 27 ft
- 36 ft
- 45 ft
- 53 ft · bottom
About Wachusett Reservoir
Wachusett Reservoir was created by damming the Nashua River, with construction on the Wachusett Dam running from 1897 to 1905 and the reservoir reaching capacity by 1908. The project flooded the town of Rhode Island... no, flooded the villages within Boylston, Clinton, Sterling, and West Boylston, requiring the relocation of roughly 4,000 residents and the removal of homes, mills, and cemeteries ahead of the rising water. It remains part of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority system supplying greater Boston.
Today the reservoir sits about 35 miles west of Boston near Worcester, ringed by the towns of West Boylston, Boylston, Clinton, and Sterling. Because it is a working drinking-water supply, motorboats and swimming are prohibited, and shoreline access is limited to walking, fishing under a permit system, and rowing programs based out of Clinton. The Wachusett Dam and its associated spillway remain visible landmarks along Route 70, and the surrounding watershed is kept largely forested to protect water quality.
- 10 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 670 roads engraved around the shore, 7 of them labeled
- 6 depth layers, each step engraved with its depth in feet
- Compass rose, title block with coordinates, max depth and area; keyhole hanger on the back
Turn it in your hands
Live 3D of the actual cut files — drag to orbit, pinch to zoom. Every road you see is engraved on the real thing.
Viewer not showing? Open it full screen.
Wachusett Reservoir depth chart, in wood
This is a Wachusett Reservoir depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 9 ft, 18 ft, 27 ft, 36 ft, 45 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 53 ft. The lake covers about 6.6 square miles, and 670 shore roads are engraved around it. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Wachusett Reservoir map for the wall — or a gift
Most of these go to a cabin wall, a lake house entry, or a home office; a lot are gifts — the family that has been on Wachusett Reservoir for three generations, the retirement move, the first boat. The 12-inch is the desk-and-shelf size; the 24- and 30-inch boards read across a room. Add a line under the title and star your place on the shore, and it becomes the map of your Wachusett Reservoir.
Wachusett Reservoir map — the details
How big is the map?
Four sizes: 12, 17, 24 and 30 inches on the long side, from $149. Every size is cut from the same depth data of Wachusett Reservoir; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Wachusett Reservoir is cut layer by layer from published bathymetric soundings — each layer of birch is a depth contour, so the shape of the bottom is the real one, not decorative.
Can I add my own place on it?
Yes. At checkout you can add a line under the title (a family name, a cabin name, a year) and star the spot on the shore that matters to you.
How long does it take?
Made to order in Waterford, Pennsylvania and shipped in 7–10 days; shipping is free in the lower 48.
Can you make a lake that isn't listed?
Any lake in the United States — we hold depth data for 104,419 of them. Search for yours; if it isn't built yet we build it when you order.
- 6 depth layers down to 53 ft
- 6.6 square miles of water
- 670 shore roads engraved, 7 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
