This article is about the Croton River watershed, a hydrological feature. For the component of the New York City water supply system with a similar name, seeCroton Watershed.
TheCroton River watershed is the drainage basin of theCroton River and its seven tributary rivers, a hydrological feature in far southeasternNew York State.[2] Spanning large swaths ofPutnam andWestchester counties, it is over 350 square miles (910 km2) in area and holds some 115 billion US gallons (440,000,000 m3) of fresh water.[b]
The Croton River watershed is a hydrological feature, the 361 sq mi (930 km2)[4] drainage basin of theCroton River and its tributaries. It is not synonymous with theCroton Watershed, a term describing the rivers, reservoirs, dams, pump systems, and other infrastructure of the southernmost watershed of theNew York City water supply system. Numerous small natural lakes and ponds, as well as largeLake Mahopac, are within the river's watershed and ultimately drain into it, but are not owned, leased, or controlled by the City water supply system. A map of the actual Croton Watershed is foundhere.
^abThe land areas are the same, but their drainages are not. Numerous small natural lakes and ponds, as well as largeLake Mahopac, are within the river's watershed but not a direct part of the NYC water supply system. They are not owned or maintained by the New York City watershed system, but ultimately drain into it; Lake Mahopac, which features a sluice gate at its extreme southwestern corner, is an auxiliary water source for the New York City system: according to Title 24 (Environmental Protection and Utilities) of the New York City Administrative Code, Chapter 3 (Water Supply), Subchapter 1 (Water Supply to the City of New York), Section 24-328 (Lake Mahopac; level of water not reduced): "Nothing in this chapter contained shall authorize, empower or permit any water in excess of its ordinary flow to be drawn from Lake Mahopac, in the town of Carmel, Putnam county, between the first days of March and September in any year."[1] Drawing on the Lake between September 2nd and the last day of February in any given year is not therein proscribed.
* The Croton Watershed, the New York City water supply system's term for its southernmost watershed area, also includes the physical infrastructure of dams, spillways, tunnels, pumps, and related mechanical components.
* A map of the actual Croton Watershed is foundhere.
^15 billion US gallons (57,000,000 m3) in freshwater lakes and ponds, 86.6 billion US gallons (328,000,000 m3) in reservoirs, roughly 5.5 billion US gallons (21,000,000 m3) in controlled lakes, and 7.5 billion US gallons (28,000,000 m3) in its river system.
^As a result of dam construction, the waters of the Middle and West Branches mingle inCroton Falls Reservoir before exiting as a brief stretch of the West Branch alone, which joins the East Branch at the confluence of the Croton River proper.
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