body of water. About 500 men from Maine and Canada hand-felled of woodland, burning the lumber in massive bonfires. Several dams were built. The largest, at the north end of the valley, measured wide and high upon completion. On February 25, 1928, the first pumping operation began pouring water into the valley from the Housatonic. Engineers had planned on the Rocky River and its tributaries filling the valley one-fourth of the way, with the generating plant pumping the remaining three-fourths of the water out of the Housatonic. The valley filled quickly; on September 29, 1928, the water reached an elevation of above sea level, and Candlewood Lake was considered completed. CL&P owned and operated the lake and hydroelectric power facilities until it was sold for $9 million in June 2006 due to deregulation of the electric power industry by the State in the late 1990s. The lake and generation plant are currently owned by FirstLight Power Resources. Recreation Candlewood Lake is a popular tourist destination, and the area is home to many second homes of New York City residents. The lake is used for recreation year-round, although tourists primarily come during the summer months for swimming, fishing, boating, and golfing. Along its approximately shoreline are tourist resorts and recreational facilities, including golf courses, beaches, and marinas. There is a daytime speed limit for boats and a nighttime speed limit from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise. A speed limit is in effect within of shore, dock, moored vessels, and other places that the power company has marked as hazardous. Seaplanes are also permitted to land on the lake. The lake is around deep in most places, with some deeper areas that are . Scuba divers can investigate buildings from the era before the lake was created, follow underwater roads, and discover artifacts. Some of the notable underwater finds are Model Ts, plane wreckage from small craft that have hit the lake since then, and covered bridges. Candlewood Lake is home to Chicken Rock, a large rock from which people jump into the water. There is also a rope swing that allows people to swing out over the water. The rock is high. It projects into the lake from the shore on the Sherman side of the New Fairfield-Sherman border, is the site of frequent injuries. Candlewood Lake is home to many private beaches, such as Lynn Deming