City of Worcester, MA

WORCESTER, Mass. – The City of Worcester Department of Sustainability and Resilience advises residents of the Indian Lake and Lake Quinsigamond areas that the lakes will be slowly drawn down during the winter of 2025-26, beginning on or about November 3, 2025. The water level will be reduced two to three inches per day over the course of two weeks until the level reaches approximately three feet below normal pool. The lake will then be maintained at this level throughout the winter. The water will be brought back up to its normal level by no later than April 1st.

Water level drawdowns are a lake management practice used to reduce the density of invasive and nuisance aquatic plants by exposing them to the winter elements. This proposal has been subject to public hearings and is approved by the Conservation Commissions in Worcester, Grafton, and Shrewsbury and the MA Department of Environmental Protection. 

The exposed bank and bottom of the lakes are a protected resource under the Wetlands Protection Act and the filling or dredging of the lake bottom is prohibited. All boats should be removed from the water prior to the drawdown to prevent damage. Homeowner care should be given to docks and shoreline structures to prevent damage from flowing ice. Property owners may make repairs to structure on the shoreline during the drawdown, however, some repairs may require a permit from the local Conservation Commission according to the project’s extent. Please contact the local Conservation Commission to determine whether a permit is necessary for a specific project.

The Indian Lake drawdown is administered by the City of Worcester, and the Lake Quinsigamond drawdown is administered by the Lake Quinsigamond Commission. Please reach out to the respective departments with any questions.

City of Worcester Department of Sustainability and Resilience: GreenWorcester@worcesterma.gov

Lake Quinsigamond Commission: LQC@shrewsburyma.gov

###