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| Croton Falls Reservoir | |
|---|---|
  Croton Falls Reservoir Location within New York Show map of New York Adirondack Park Croton Falls Reservoir Croton Falls Reservoir (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Putnam County, New York |
| Coordinates | 41°22′19″N73°40′09″W / 41.3720°N 73.6693°W /41.3720; -73.6693 |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | West Branch andMiddle Branch of the Croton River |
| Catchment area | 16 sq mi (41 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Built | 1911 |
| Surface area | 603 acres (244 ha)[1] |
| Water volume | 14.2 billion U.S. gallons (54 million cubic meters) |
| Surface elevation | 308 ft (94 m)[1] |
TheCroton Falls Reservoir is areservoir in theNew York City water supply system in thePutnam County, New York townships ofCarmel, andSoutheast, roughly 50 miles (80 km) north ofNew York City. Part of the system'sCroton Watershed, it was formed by impounding theWest Branch andMiddle Branch of the Croton River, tributaries of theCroton River, which flows into theHudson River.
Placed into service in 1911, the resulting reservoir has adrainage basin of 16 square miles (25.6 km²) and can hold 14.2 billion US gallons (54,000,000 m3) of water at full capacity. This includes all bodies of water that flow into the reservoir except for other reservoirs. Water sources in the basin include Michaels Brook, andLake Gilead, one of threecontrolled lakes in the Croton Watershed. The reservoir is split into three portions by Putnam County Routes 35 and 38, which cross it withcauseways and bridges.
Water from the reservoir flows intoWestchester County, New York, through theMuscoot Reservoir andNew Croton Reservoir before entering theNew Croton Aqueduct. Water in the Aqueduct flows throughThe Bronx into theJerome Park Reservoir.
In January 2007, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection reportedly began a $74 million project of improvements to the Croton Falls Reservoir and theDiverting Reservoir.[2] The upgrading and rehabilitation is part of the city's effort to comply with state and federal dam safety regulations. At the Croton Falls Reservoir, the spillway - the structure that allows excess water to leave the reservoir - has been widened and deepened. The nearly 100-foot-tall (30 m) earthen and masonry dam has been resurfaced, a new bridge has been built over the redone spillway and various mechanical items, such as valves, will be replaced. In addition, cables anchoring the dam and spillway to the bedrock will be installed. The work will require the reservoir to be deepened 4 feet (1.2 m). The connecting channel between the two reservoirs has been emptied, inspected and dredged. Construction at both sites has continued until Jan. 31, 2010.
Recent developments regarding the Croton Falls Reservoir include a significant legal settlement that reduced the assessed value of the reservoir, impacting the surrounding communities, particularly the Town of Carmel and the Mahopac School District. The reservoir, managed by New York City, had its value decreased by $80 million following a court decision. This ruling, which gradually reduces the assessment through 2032, means a loss of tax revenue for the local municipalities, though they will not need to pay back taxes from previous years.[3]
