Pepacton Reservoir | |
---|---|
Location | Delaware County, New York |
Coordinates | 42°05′20″N74°49′20″W / 42.08889°N 74.82222°W [1] |
Type | Reservoir |
Primary inflows | East Branch of the Delaware River |
Basin countries | United States |
Max. length | 15 mi (24 km) |
Max. width | 0.7 mi (1.12 km) |
Surface area | 5,726 acres (23.17 km2) |
Max. depth | 180 ft (55 m) |
Water volume | 430,256 acre-feet (530,713,000 m3) |
The Pepacton Reservoir, also known as the Downsville Reservoir, is a reservoir in Delaware County, New York on the East Branch of the Delaware River in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Part of the New York City water supply system, it was formed by the construction of Downsville Dam, and impounds over one-quarter of the East Branch's flow.[ citation needed ]
The reservoir lies 12 miles (19 km) south of the village of Delhi and is 101 miles (163 km) northwest of New York City. It is narrow and winding, some 15 miles (24 km) long and about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) across at its widest point. The reservoir is over 160 feet (49 m) deep at its maximum point and contains 430,256 acre-feet (530,713,000 m3) of water at full capacity. This makes it the city water system's largest reservoir by volume. [2] [3]
Pepacton Reservoir supplies New York City with nearly 25% of its drinking water. Its water empties into the 25.5-mile (41.0 km) East Delaware Tunnel near the former site of Pepacton, then flows through the aqueduct into the Rondout Reservoir, which empties into the 85-mile (137 km) Delaware Aqueduct. Flow is then routed under the Hudson into the West Branch Reservoir in Putnam County, New York, then on to the Kensico Reservoir in Westchester County just north of The Bronx. From there the aqueduct continues on to Hillview Reservoir, from which it is distributed by tunnel to users in the City.
Peapackton is a Lenape Native American term meaning "marriage of the waters". The reservoir lies on land New York City purchased in the valley in 1942, and led to the displacement of 974 people, destruction of four hamlets (Arena, Pepacton, Shavertown and Union Grove), and submersion of nearly one-quarter of the Delaware and Northern Railroad in the process. The dam, located at Downsville, was finished in 1954, and the flooding was completed in 1955.
The reservoir is a significant factor in the local economy of Downsville, New York, as thousands of tourists travel to Downsville each year to fish for trout. No motor boats are allowed on the reservoir; non-motorized boats that have been steam-cleaned and that have required tags may be used in the reservoir during the summer. [4]
The Beaver Kill, sometimes written as the Beaverkill or Beaverkill River, is a tributary of the East Branch Delaware River, a main tributary of the Delaware River, approximately 44 miles (71 km) long, in the U.S. state of New York. The kill drains a 300-square-mile (780 km2) area of the Catskill Mountains and has long been celebrated as one of the most famous trout streams in the United States. Its preservation helped establish many of the basic conservation principles of rivers in the United States.
The East Branch Delaware River is one of two branches that form the Delaware River. It is approximately 75 mi (121 km) long, and flows through the U.S. state of New York. It winds through a mountainous area on the southwestern edge of Catskill Park in the Catskill Mountains for most of its course, before joining the West Branch along the northeast border of Pennsylvania with New York. Much of it is paralleled by State Route 30.
The Neversink River is a 55-mile-long (89 km) tributary of the Delaware River in southeastern New York in the United States. The name of the river comes from the corruption of an Algonquian language phrase meaning "mad river."
The Delaware Aqueduct is an aqueduct in the New York City water supply system. It takes water from the Rondout, Cannonsville, Neversink, and Pepacton reservoirs on the west bank of the Hudson River through the Chelsea Pump Station, then into the West Branch, Kensico, and Hillview reservoirs on the east bank, ending at Hillview in Yonkers, New York.
Rondout Creek is a 63.3-mile-long (101.9 km) tributary of the Hudson River in Ulster and Sullivan counties, New York, United States. It rises on Rocky Mountain in the eastern Catskills, flows south into Rondout Reservoir, part of New York City's water supply network, then into the valley between the Catskills and the Shawangunk Ridge, where it goes over High Falls and finally out to the Hudson at Kingston, receiving along the way the Wallkill River.
Rondout Reservoir is part of New York City's water supply network. It is located 75 miles (121 km) northwest of the city in the Catskill Mountains, near the southern end of Catskill Park, split between the towns of Wawarsing in Ulster County and Neversink in Sullivan County. It is the central collection point for the city's Delaware System, which provides half its daily consumption.
A combination of aqueducts, reservoirs, and tunnels supplies fresh water to New York City. With three major water systems stretching up to 125 miles (201 km) away from the city, its water supply system is one of the most extensive municipal water systems in the world.
The Ashokan Reservoir is a reservoir in Ulster County, New York. It is at the eastern end of the Catskill Park, and is one of several in the region created to provide the City of New York with water. It is the city's deepest reservoir at 190 feet (58 m) near the dam at the former site of Bishop Falls.
Neversink Reservoir is a reservoir in the New York City water supply system. It is located in the Catskill Mountain town of Neversink in Sullivan County, New York, 75 miles (121 km) northwest of the City.
The Schoharie Reservoir is a reservoir in the Catskill Mountains of New York State that was created to be one of 19 reservoirs that supplies New York City with water. It was created by impounding Schoharie Creek. Portions of it lie in the towns of Conesville and Gilboa in Schoharie County, Roxbury in Delaware County, and Prattsville in Greene County.
East Branch Reservoir, is a reservoir in the town of Southeast, New York, near the village of Brewster. Part of the New York City water supply system, it was formed by impounding the East Branch of the Croton River. Forming part of the Croton Watershed, it was placed into service in 1891, and lies some 35 miles (56 km) north of the city, in the southeast corner of Putnam County.
The Cannonsville Reservoir is a reservoir in the New York City water supply system in Delaware County, New York. It was formed by construction of the Cannonsville Dam on its west end, which impounded over half of the West Branch of the Delaware River. Lying on the western part of the Delaware Watershed, it is the westernmost of New York City's reservoirs. It was placed in service in 1964, and is the most recently constructed New York City-owned reservoir.
The Catskill Aqueduct, part of the New York City water supply system, brings water from the Catskill Mountains to Yonkers where it connects to other parts of the system.
The Kensico Reservoir is a reservoir spanning the towns of Armonk and Valhalla, New York, located 3 miles (5 km) north of White Plains. It was formed by the original earth and gravel Kensico Dam constructed in 1885, which impounded waters from the Bronx and Byram rivers. In 1917, a new masonry dam was completed, replacing the old dam and expanding the water supply by bringing water from the Catskill Mountains over a distance of more than 100 miles.
The West Branch Reservoir is a reservoir in the New York City water supply system. Formed by impounding the upper reaches of the West Branch of the Croton River, it is located in the Putnam County, New York, towns of Kent, and Carmel, about 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City.
The Boyds Corner Reservoir is a small reservoir in Putnam County, New York. It is in the town of Kent, New York, and is about 50 miles north of New York City. It is the northernmost reservoir in the Croton River watershed, but is not part of the New York City water supply system's Croton Watershed. and was formed by impounding the middle of the West Branch of the Croton River, submerging the village of Boyds Corner.
The Muscoot Reservoir is a reservoir in the New York City water supply system in northern Westchester County, New York, located directly north of the village of Katonah. Part of the system's Croton Watershed, it is 25 miles north of the City.
The East Delaware Tunnel is a 25-mile (40 km) aqueduct in the New York City water supply system. Located in the Catskill Mountains of New York State, it was constructed within a six-year period between 1949 and 1955 to transport drinking water from the Pepacton Reservoir to the Rondout Reservoir. The tunnel begins near the former site of Pepacton, New York, and ends near the former site of Eureka, New York, passing through Delaware County, Sullivan County and Ulster County. The tunnel has a maximum transmission capacity of 500 million US gallons (1,900,000 m3) per day and was constructed at a width of 11 feet (3.4 m).
Downsville is a hamlet, census-designated place (CDP), and former village in the town of Colchester, Delaware County, New York, United States. The population was 617 at the 2010 census.
[[File:Crotonrivermap.png|thumb|right|Map of the Croton River watershed. Note that this is not identical with the New York City water supply system's "Croton Watershed"{{efn|Numerous small natural lakes and ponds, as well as large Lake Mahopac, are part of the Croton River's watershed but not part of New York City’s supply system. A map of the actual Croton Watershed is found here. ]]