TheCroton River (/ˈkroʊtən/KROH-tən) is a river in southernNew York with a watershed area of 361 square miles (930 km2),[1] and three principal tributaries: theWest Branch,Middle Branch, andEast Branch. Their waters, all part of theNew York City water supply system,[2] join downstream from theCroton Falls Reservoir.[a] Together, their waters and the reservoirs linked to them represent the northern half of the New York City water system'sCroton Watershed.
Shortly after the confluence of the three Croton River branches the Croton River proper flows westward into theMuscoot Reservoir, joined separately from the north by theMuscoot River, a tributary. The Muscoot empties into theNew Croton Reservoir, which feeds theNew Croton Aqueduct, supplying water to theJerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx for distribution inNew York City. Excess water leaves the spillway at theNew Croton Dam and empties into theHudson River atCroton-on-Hudson, New York atCroton Point, about 30 miles (50 km) north of New York City.[1]
The Croton River was the main source of the city water supply from 1842 to the mid-20th century. Water was brought to the city through theCroton Aqueduct, later called the Old Croton Aqueduct.[3] The largerNew Croton Aqueduct opened in 1890.[4] The Old Croton Aqueduct remained in parallel service until waters from theCatskill andDelaware Aqueducts could supersede it in 1955.[5]
Seeking to expand the city's water supply, engineers of the city Aqueduct Commission designed in 1884 a 275-to-300-foot-high (84 to 91 m) masonry dam spanning the Croton River near its mouth. The resulting storage reservoir, impounding a 16-square-mile (41 km2) watershed, would hold 14.2 billion US gallons (54,000,000 m3) at full capacity.[6] This dam, now known as theNew Croton Dam, was completed in 1906. Further upstream, two tributaries of the Croton were dammed, creating theCroton Falls Reservoir, which was placed into service in 1911.
In the 1890s, rather than building an expensivefiltration system, the city ordered the destruction or relocation of any village or hamlet in the watershed that was considered to be a potential pollution source for the Croton or its tributaries. Many were moved.[citation needed]
In the late 1990s, the city stopped using water from the Croton system as it became more and more unsuitable for drinking. In 2004, a project was started to rehabilitate the New Croton Aqueduct and build theCroton Water Filtration Plant, which came online in May 2015.[3][7] By the early 21st century the Croton system was supplying 10% of the city's water.[8]
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41°11′12″N73°52′36″W / 41.18667°N 73.87667°W /41.18667; -73.87667
