Lake Kittamaqundi
Lake Kittamaqundi is a man made reservoir located in Columbia, Maryland in the vicinity of the Mall in Columbia as well as Merriweather Post Pavilion. It is also adjacent to offices and visible from US-29. The lake was created by The Rouse Company in 1966 during the development of Columbia. The company and its homeowners association claimed it was named after the first Indian settlement in Howard County and "Kittamaqundi" in the tribe's language translates to "meeting place." Kittamaqundi actually was a 17th-century Piscataway village south that was named after its ruler, 'Kittamaquund'. "Kittamaqundi" translates to "Great Beaver Place" or "Strong Bear". The area surrounding the lake is a popular location for various summer festivals and 4th of July fireworks. History Kittamaqundi is one of three man-made lakes created with the construction of the Columbia development. The lake served a dual purpose as a recreational feature and a low cost primary catch basin for water runoff from Wilde Lake into the Little Patuxent River. In 1973 Hittman Associates was contracted by the EPA to recommend the reuse of storm water runoff from Columbia's reservoir system for residential drinking water to save on development costs. One Kittamaqundi drowning in 1971 was