Around 1700 this water was dammed to power a gristmill, and today Lake Matoaka sits at the western edge of William & Mary's campus. Originally known as Rich Neck Pond for the surrounding Rich Neck Plantation and as Ludwell's Mill Pond for Philip Ludwell, it was constructed around 1700 to power a gristmill. The pond was later renamed to bear the Powhatan name for Pocahontas, and the college acquired it in the 1920s.
Over the years construction projects by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the college, and others have shaped this place into a site for outdoor entertainment and recreation. The water body is roughly 0.17 km2, about 0.066 square miles, with a maximum depth near 4.8 meters, and its outflow empties into College Creek. You will notice the dam on the south side that is traversed by Jamestown Road.
Despite poor water quality the lake is heavily populated by fish and turtles, a lively reminder of nature persisting in campus life. Notice the dam where Jamestown Road crosses on the south side, the water flowing on to College Creek through the trees of College Woods.