Songo Lock, Historic lock in Naples, United States

Songo Lock connects Sebago Lake to Brandy Pond and Long Lake through a manually operated water level control system. The structure uses wooden gates standing about 4 feet (1.2 meters) high to regulate water flow between the different sections of the waterway.

Songo Lock was completed in 1830 as one of 28 locks on the Cumberland and Oxford Canal, which linked Portland Harbor to Bridgton and Harrison on Long Lake. The canal carried raw materials and goods until commercial operations ended in 1870. The Sebago Lake Improvement Company enlarged the lock in 1911, adding iron gates and concrete-faced walls.

The lock's name comes from the Songo River, and it has been a summer gathering point since the Sebago Lake Improvement Company enlarged it in 1911 while promoting the area as a resort. Today pleasure craft pass through between Sebago Lake and Brandy Pond, and the state runs it within Sebago Lake State Park.

You can observe the lock from the shoreline or get closer to examine the structure and wooden gates in detail. It is best to visit during dry weather and wear sturdy shoes, as the terrain around the lock can be uneven and muddy.

Songo Lock was one of 28 locks on the Cumberland and Oxford Canal, not a statewide network, and it was built beside an artificial rubblestone island that diverted the slow Songo River around the construction site in 1830. The 1911 rebuild by the Sebago Lake Improvement Company widened it to 110 feet and fitted iron gates.