The Quabbin Reservoir was created in the 1930s to supply Boston with water, as other reservoirs were reaching the limits of their supply. The project involved relocating the residents of four towns and the closure of roads, then clearing a vast tract of forest to make way for over 400 billion gallons of water. It was completed in 1939, and continued to fill with water for the next seven years.

Land which had originally belonged to the dissolved townships and was still above water was redistrubuted to the towns bordering the Quabbin, including Belchertown.

The creation of the reservoir had also involved the creation of an extensive underground aquaduct to pipe the Quabbin's water east. The construction of the aquaduct entailed blasting an underground tunnel and sealing it with concrete, and was the most dangerous part of the project. The aquaduct is still periodically inspected for leaks and other damage.

More Info:

Quabbin Reservoir and Ware River
www.mwra.state.ma.us/04water/html/hist5.htm

Quabbin History Page
www.arps.org/pe/quabbin/History/historyindex.htm

Haunting the Quabbin: WBUR / NPR Special
http://www.insideout.org/documentaries/hauntingquabbin/default.asp

Reminiscing Over the Lost Towns of the Quabbin
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfcr/local-wfcr-532787.mp3

The Quabbin Reservoir: by the Fifth Grade at Pelham Elementary, 2004

http://www.arps.org/pe/quabbin/index.htm