Reservoirs

Babson Reservoir and Goose Cove Reservoir

Babson Reservoir and Goose Cove Reservoir are the main sources of water for the City of Gloucester. Babson Reservoir was built in 1930 and Goose Cove in 1963. They are owned by the City of Gloucester. The dams are built from earthen construction.

The water turns an 'off' color at times since there is a bog iron ore in Brier swamp. Both reservoirs have walking trails with wonderful bird, plant and animal life.

The Commons road is submerged under Goose Cove Reservoir. If you enter the Reservoir through Gee Avenue and walk half way around the water for about 15 or 20 minutes you will come to a rutted old road, which is a continuation of Commons road and continues up the road, into the woods, and away from the water.

Besides the road being under water, there are also many homes and cellars which were submerged when the dam was built. When you walk through the woods, the wonderful natural resources can be observed from the beaver dams and evidence of their enterprising work to the blueberries and raspberries when they are in season.

Roger Babson Reservoir was named after Roger Babson who was the founder of Babson College. Babson was a philanthropist who mapped out the cellars of Dogtown and made it into a natural theme park by hiring out of work stonecutters to carve mottoes onto the boulders close to the cellars.

The Babson family gave the Babson Reservoir to the City of Gloucester in return for keeping it a natural park. Even though the reservoir was gifted to be a park the Dogtown Advisory Committee continues to battle to keep it a natural resource.

There have been many attempts to use the reservoir for other activities from suggesting that a nuclear plant be built there (in 1958) to paving and expanding Rockport Road (in 2012).