Chadwick Lake

Last updated
Chadwick Lake
Chadwick Lake, Newburgh, NY.jpg
Lake viewed from its southern tip
USA New York relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Chadwick Lake
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Chadwick Lake
Location Town of Newburgh, New York
Coordinates 41°33′54″N74°04′08″W / 41.56500°N 74.06889°W / 41.56500; -74.06889
Type Reservoir
Primary inflows Quassaick Creek
Primary outflows Quassaick Creek
Catchment area 13.25 sq mi (34.3 km2) [1]
Basin  countriesUnited States
Max. length2.3 mi (3.7 km) [2]
Max. width0.3 mi (480 m) [2]
Surface area207 acres (0.84 km2) [1]
Average depth9 ft (2.7 m) [3]
Max. depth25 ft (7.6 m) [3]
Water volume612,000,000 US gal (2,320,000 m3) [1]
Surface elevation453 ft (138 m)
References [1] [2] [3]

Chadwick Lake is a reservoir supplying water to the Town of Newburgh, in Orange County, New York, United States, in which it is located. It is a manmade lake created in 1926 on private property owned by the Chadwick family by damming Quassaick Creek. [1] It was maintained for recreational purposes for 36 years. In 1962, it was purchased by the Town of Newburgh as a reservoir to supply the Town with water. In more recent years, its use as a water supply has been supplanted by the Delaware Aqueduct and so Chadwick Lake has reverted to its original function of a recreational facility. It is located immediately to the northwest of the junction of NY 32 and 300 in the Cronomer Valley section of the town. It is open to the public, and there are recreational facilities near the southern end.

Most of the town's water is supplied today by New York City's Delaware Aqueduct, with the reservoir acting primarily as a backup. In the past, surplus water has been sold to private companies, [4] and in 2006 to neighboring New Windsor during a water shortage there. [5] At times, more often than not, the Town of Newburgh has relied exclusively on the Aqueduct since manganese levels in the lake give its waters a brownish tint. [6] This is especially true since a new, state of the art water treatment plant at the Delaware Aqueduct went on line in early 2014.

Facilities near the lake's southern end, include picnic shelters, two playgrounds, fitness and walking trails and boating launches. A recent expansion is adding basketball courts, a skating rink and an arboretum. [7] Use is generally limited to town residents. Fishing is also allowed on the lake; largemouth bass is a common catch. [3] A very popular addition to the park is a 4.2 mile hiking trail, which encircles the entire lake.

History

The dam creating Chadwick Lake was constructed by the Chadwick family in 1926 and the lake remained private property. The Bethlehem Rod and Gun Club purchased fishing rights and kept the lake stocked with fish. [8] Admission was charged for the use of the lake, for fishing, swimming and boating, with the Chadwick family receiving 50% of the receipts, the Bethlehem Rod and Gun Club 25%, and the paid caretaker at the lake 25%. [8]

Since at least the mid 1930s the Town discussed purchasing the lake as a water supply. However, action of this nature by a Town was prohibited by New York State law until 1961, when the State legislature approved new legislation authorizing such a purchase. The Chadwick family originally requested one million dollars for the purchase of the lake and surrounding area, but after negotiations with the Town lowered its request to $850,000. The Town counteroffered $775,000 for 427 acres (1.73 km2) including the entire lake, and the Chadwick family accepted. An additional 18 acres (73,000 m2) of adjacent land was offered by various property owners for $15,000, for a total price tag of $790,000. [9] Town Councilman Robert DeLong, who spearheaded the movement to purchase the lake, pointed out that the tax base of the Town had increased by 1961 to finally allow such a purchase without forcing an undue burden on the Town taxpayers. He also contended that the water table in the Town had dropped to alarming levels in parts of the Town, making the purchase of the lake a priority. [10]

Despite DeLong's arguments and despite a unanimous 5-0 vote in favor of the purchase by the Town Council, the purchase still proved to be controversial. Opponents of the purchase contended that the Town of Newburgh was still too rural to warrant a central water supply, and the $790,000 price tag was too steep. Opponents believed that by not providing municipal water, the rural nature of the Town of Newburgh could be retained indefinitely. Opponents of the purchase had obtained enough signatures to force a public referendum, and in the vote taken on February 26, 1962, the purchase was approved by a vote of only 987 to 881 with 32 void ballots. [11]

The park facilities have expanded greatly. The improvements are paid for out of a Parkland Trust Fund, into which all developers in the Town are required to contribute. Accordingly, the Chadwick Park improvements and expansion have had very minimal impact upon the taxpayers.

Some old commercial maps from the 1950s and 1960s erroneously label the lake as "Cronomer Lake". This is probably due to the lake's proximity to the hamlet of Cronomer Valley. There is no evidence that the name Cronomer Lake was ever used, either officially or popularly, and so the citation can be considered a typographical error.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newburgh (town), New York</span> Town in New York, United States

Newburgh is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. It forms part of the Poughkeepsie—Newburgh—Middletown metropolitan area, which is a part of the New York megacity, and is a suburban satellite of the urbanized city of Newburgh. The city of Newburgh was a part of the town prior to 1865. New York Stewart International Airport is partially located within the township, and much of the land into which it could have been expanded has been turned into Stewart State Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Havasu</span> Human-made reservoir on the Colorado River in Arizona and California, United States

Lake Havasu is a large reservoir formed by Parker Dam on the Colorado River, on the border between San Bernardino County, California and Mohave County, Arizona. Lake Havasu City sits on the Arizonan side of the lake with its Californian counterpart of Havasu Lake directly across the lake. The reservoir has an available capacity of 619,400 acre-feet (0.7640 km3). The concrete arch dam was built by the United States Bureau of Reclamation between 1934 and 1938. The lake's primary purpose is to store water for pumping into two aqueducts. Prior to the dam construction, the area was home to the Mojave people. The lake was named after the Mojave word for blue. In the early 19th century, it was frequented by beaver trappers. Spaniards also began to mine the areas along the river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dale Hollow Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Tennessee and Kentucky, United States

The Dale Hollow Reservoir is a reservoir situated on the Kentucky/Tennessee border. The lake is formed by the damming of the Obey River, 7.3 miles (11.7 km) above its juncture with the Cumberland River at river mile 380. Portions of the lake also cover the Wolf River. Dale Hollow is one of four major flood control reservoirs for the Cumberland; the others being Percy Priest Lake, Lake Cumberland, and Center Hill Lake. It is also the site of Dale Hollow Lake State Park on the north (Kentucky) side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wachusett Reservoir</span> Second largest body of water in the state of Massachusetts

The Wachusett Reservoir is the second largest body of water in the state of Massachusetts. It is located in central Massachusetts, northeast of Worcester. It is part of the water supply system for metropolitan Boston maintained by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). It has an aggregate capacity of 65 billion US gallons (250,000,000 m3) and an area of almost 7 square miles (18 km2). Water from the reservoir flows to the covered Norumbega Storage Facility via the Cosgrove Tunnel and the MetroWest Water Supply Tunnel. The reservoir has a maximum depth of 120 feet (37 m) and a mean depth of 48 feet (15 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York State Route 300</span> State highway in New York, US

New York State Route 300 (NY 300) is a state highway located west of the city of Newburgh in the Hudson Valley of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at a five-way intersection with NY 32 and NY 94 in the hamlet of Vails Gate. From there, it runs generally northwesterly through the towns of New Windsor, Newburgh, and Shawangunk, to a junction with NY 208 near the hamlet of Wallkill. NY 300's two major changes of direction are marked by slightly unorthodox intersections with other state highways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rondout Reservoir</span> Reservoir in New York, United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashokan Reservoir</span> New York City reservoir in Catskill Mountains

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neversink Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Sullivan County, New York

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pepacton Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Delaware County, New York

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannonsville Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Delaware County, New York

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensico Reservoir</span> Reservoir in New York, United States

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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Washington (New York)</span> Reservoir in New York, United States

Lake Washington is the primary reservoir for the city of Newburgh, New York, United States. It is located just southwest of the city, lying partially within it and the neighboring towns of Newburgh and New Windsor. It holds approximately 1.5 billion US gallons (5,700,000 m3), an amount equivalent to the city's annual consumption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Browns Pond</span> Reservoir in Orange County, New York

Browns Pond, in the Town of New Windsor in Orange County, New York, United States, is the smaller of two reservoirs for the nearby City of Newburgh. The 0.3 square mile pond is hook-shaped, with the circuitous Mount Airy Road running past both ends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quassaick Creek</span> River in the United States of America

Quassaick Creek is an 18.4-mile-long (29.6 km) tributary of the Hudson River in Orange and Ulster counties in the U.S. state of New York. It rises in the glacial ridges west of the river, near the boundary between the towns of Plattekill and Marlborough. From there it flows south into the town of Newburgh and then the city, where it eventually forms part of the border between it and neighboring New Windsor before emptying into the Hudson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Seneca Lake</span> Lake in Montgomery County, Maryland

Little Seneca Lake is a reservoir located near the Boyds community in Montgomery County, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Gleneida</span> Lake of the United States of America

Lake Gleneida is a controlled lake in the hamlet of Carmel within the Town of Carmel in central Putnam County, New York. Originally a smaller natural water body, Shaw's Pond, it was dammed by New York City in 1870 and enlarged to 168 acres (68 ha) for inclusion in its water supply system. It is part of the New York City water system's Croton Watershed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Shenorock</span> Lake in Somers, New York

Lake Shenorock is a lake located in the hamlet of Shenorock in the town of Somers, New York. The lake is used for fishing and was used for recreational swimming until the Clean Water Act was passed and the lake became a source of drinking water. The Clean Water Act was passed in 1972, recreational swimming ended in 1977. The lake is part of the Croton Reservoir System and is a tributary to the Amawalk Reservoir, which is used as a source of water for New York City residents. There are no major tributaries to the class B lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croton Watershed</span>

[[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. ]]

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croton River watershed</span> Drainage basin in New York State, USA

This page is about the Croton River watershed, a hydrological feature. For the component of the New York City water supply system with a similar name, see Croton Watershed

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Chadwick Lake" . Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  2. 1 2 3 Newburgh quadrangle — New York — Orange Co (Map). 1 : 24,000. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic). United States Geological Survey . Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Chadwick Lake of New York". Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  4. Randall, Michael (2002-03-06). "Town cuts off water sales". Times-Herald Record . Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  5. Raphael, Eric (2007-04-03). "New Windsor must look to the Hudson for its future". Times-Herald Record. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  6. Randall, Michael (2000-08-24). "Clearly, residents angry about quality of water". Times-Herald Record. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  7. Randall, Michael (2003-12-03). "Chadwick Lake Park to get room to grow". Times-Herald Record. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  8. 1 2 Statement made by Raymor Watson, representing the Bethlehem Rod and Gun Club, recorded in official minutes of Newburgh Town Board meeting, December 20, 1961, available in office of Newburgh Town Clerk.
  9. Report by Julius Larkin Hoyt, Attorney for the Town, recorded in official minutes of Newburgh Town Board meeting, December 20, 1961, available in office of Newburgh Town Clerk.
  10. Statement made by Robert DeLong, Town Councilman, recorded in official minutes of Newburgh Town Board meeting, December 20, 1961, available in office of Newburgh Town Clerk.
  11. Official canvass of voters on the Chadwick Lake Acquisition Proposition, February 26, 1962, on file with official minutes in Town Clerk's office, Town of Newburgh