Lake Zoar

Lake Zoar is a reservoir located in Fairfield, New Haven, and Litchfield counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The lake was created in 1919 by the construction of the Stevenson Dam on the Housatonic River, and named in honor of Civil War engineer, Joseph Roswell Hawley's son-in-law, Morris F. Zoar. The lake contains approximately 975 acres of water surface and 27 miles of shoreline that spans through the towns of Monroe, Newtown, Oxford, and Southbury. Lake Zoar is a popular recreational destination for boating, fishing, kayaking, and swimming. It also provides hydroelectric power to the surrounding area. The lake is owned by the Connecticut Light and Power Company but is open to the public for recreational use.