Can you drain a lake?

For many years the idea of draining the shallow Lake Mattamuskeet intrigued farmers and developers. Patterned after similar projects in Holland, large scale drainage operations to convert the lake bottom to farmland began in 1914. The world’s largest pumping plant at the time was built, capable of moving 800,000 gallons of water per minute. Three different companies owned Lake Mattamuskeet during this venture. The first, New Holland Farms, Inc., incorporated the town of New Holland and began development. In 1918 the project was sold to North Carolina Farm Company which added a railroad before going bankrupt in 1923. In 1925 the New Holland Corporation took over the project and electricity was added. The farming operation was enlarged to 13,000 acres. Eventually, the scheme was abandoned as impractical and too expensive, but the lake had been drained three times already. In 1934 the United States government purchased the Lake Mattamuskeet holdings for $311,950 and established the Lake Mattamuskeet Migratory Bird Refuge.

You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them.
                 

The CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) helped transform the farming operation and pumping plant into a wildlife refuge and hunting/fishing lodge. The smokestack was modified into an observation tower. Lodge renovations were completed in 1937. In 1972 the Refuge was closed to goose hunting and the lodge closed in 1974. In 2007 ownership of the lodge was transferred to the State of North Carolina. Restorations are planned.



There is hunting of deer and waterfowl at certain times of year on the refuge, and also fishing and blue crabs in the lake and adjacent canals.