Lake Drummond

Lake Drummond is a freshwater lake at the center of the Great Dismal Swamp, a marshy region on the Coastal Plain of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina between Norfolk, Virginia, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in the United States. Surface area of the lake is approximately 3142acre and the maximum depth is 6ft. Management of the lake is the responsibility of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.Scientists think the Great Dismal Swamp was created when the continental shelf made its last big shift. The whole swamp has peat underneath. Several theories exist on the origin of Lake Drummond. People have argued that the lake was made by a big underground peat burn about 3,500 to 6,000 years ago. Native American legend talks about "the fire bird" creating Lake Drummond. Other theories regarding the lake's origin include a meteorite impact and a tectonic shift.Lake Drummond is one of only two natural freshwater lakes in Virginia. The other, Mountain Lake in Giles County, is also of unknown origin. Curiously, both are lakes essentially on top of hills. Lake Drummond is the highest point in the Dismal Swamp, with nine ditches flowing out of it.