Lake McWain
Lake McWain (also know as McWain Pond) is a lake located in East Waterford, Maine, that Birch Rock is situated on. It was named after David McWain, a man from Bolton, Massachusetts who was one of the first settlers in Waterford. There is some dispute as to whether Lake McWain is a really a lake or a pond. There is no set criteria of what defines a lake but most casual definitions of minimum size for a lake are well below the area of Lake McWain, which is about 445 acres (0.7 square miles). The official name is McWain Pond but traditionally at Birch Rock it is known as Lake McWain. Lake McWain has a perimeter of about five miles. The waters of Lake McWain flow out at its north end into the Crooked River.
Lake McWain is where all waterfront activities take place and is therefore a very important part of Birch Rock life. On most days campers go in or on the lake at least two times. The geography of Lake McWain is also the basis of all long distance swims.
