Lake Artemesia
Lake Artemesia is a manmade lake in Prince George’s County, Maryland, located near College Park and Berwyn Heights. The lake is named for Artemesia Drefs, who donated land to the county for preservation as open space in 1972. The current lake, replacing an earlier manmade lake on the site, also named for members of the Drefs family, was built as part of the construction of the Green Line of the Washington Metro, as it was determined to be most cost-effective to source sand and gravel for the project locally. The current lake was then constructed to repair the excavation damage following the completion of construction. The lake forms the centerpiece of the Lake Artemesia Natural Area, which consists of the lake, as well as aquatic gardens, fishing piers, a gazebo, and hiking-biking trails. The Paint Branch Trail also passes through the site. Together, the trails form part of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System and the East Coast Greenway.
Lake Artemesia is a manmade lake in Prince George’s County, Maryland, located near College Park and Berwyn Heights. The lake is named for Artemesia Drefs, who donated land to the county for preservation as open space in 1972. The current lake, replacing an earlier manmade lake on the site, also named for members of the Drefs family, was built as part of the construction of the Green Line of the Washington Metro, as it was determined to be most cost-effective to source sand and gravel for the project locally. The current lake was then constructed to repair the excavation damage following the completion of construction. The lake forms the centerpiece of the Lake Artemesia Natural Area, which consists of the lake, as well as aquatic gardens, fishing piers, a gazebo, and hiking-biking trails. The Paint Branch Trail also passes through the site. Together, the trails form part of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System and the East Coast Greenway.
