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Lake Winnipesaukee Navigation Project

Lake WinnipesaukeeLake Winnipesaukee in central New Hampshire is a renowned summer resort and boating center situated about 30 miles northeast of Concord. The 72-square-mile lake, the largest in the state, has a maximum length of approximately 20 miles and a maximum width of about eight miles. The western end of the lake, known as Meredith Bay, discharges into the 3,000-foot-long Weirs Channel, which leads into Paugus Bay, known locally as Long Bay (Paugus Bay forms the head of the Winnipesaukee River). Located in Laconia, Weirs Channel is used principally by mail boats, passenger boats, and numerous recreational craft.

The project, completed in 1882, involved constructing a navigable passageway through Weirs Channel so that boats could travel safely from Paugus Bay to Meredith Bay. Weirs Channel was dredged to a depth of five feet and a width of 50 feet, and obstructing shoals were removed.