Catskill Aqueduct facts for kids
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The Catskill Aqueduct is a huge water pipe system. It brings fresh drinking water from the Catskill Mountains all the way to New York City. It's a very important part of the city's water supply. The aqueduct ends in Yonkers, where it connects to other pipes that carry water into the city.
Contents
Building the Aqueduct
Building the Catskill Aqueduct started in 1907. The main part of the aqueduct was finished in 1916. The whole system, including dams and tunnels, was ready by 1924. This massive project cost a lot of money back then. It was about $177 million, which would be like $2.4 billion today!
How the Aqueduct Works
The Catskill Aqueduct is about 92 miles (148 km) long. It's made up of different parts:
- Cut and Cover: About 55 miles (89 km) of the aqueduct are built using a "cut and cover" method. This means they dug a trench, built the aqueduct inside, and then covered it up.
- Tunnels: Over 14 miles (23 km) are tunnels that go through hills. Another 17 miles (27 km) are "pressure tunnels." These are deep tunnels that use water pressure to push the water along.
- Siphons: About 9 miles (14 km) are steel siphons. These are like giant pipes that carry water across valleys.
Workers dug 67 shafts (deep holes) for different parts of the aqueduct and city tunnels. These shafts were from 174 to 1,187 feet (53 to 362 meters) deep.
How Much Water Does It Carry?
The Catskill Aqueduct can carry a lot of water!
- North of the Kensico Reservoir, it can move about 550 million US gallons (2.1 million cubic meters) of water each day.
- South of the Kensico Reservoir, it can carry even more: about 880 million US gallons (3.3 million cubic meters) per day.
Normally, the aqueduct carries about 350 to 400 million US gallons (1.3 to 1.5 million cubic meters) of water daily. This means about 40% of New York City's water comes from the Catskill Aqueduct.
Where the Water Comes From
The Catskill Aqueduct starts at the Ashokan Reservoir in Olivebridge, New York. This reservoir is in Ulster County. The aqueduct also gets water from the Schoharie Reservoir, which flows into the Ashokan Reservoir.
The Aqueduct's Journey
From the Ashokan Reservoir, the aqueduct travels southeast. It goes through Ulster, Orange, and Putnam counties.
- It tunnels under the Rondout Valley and Rondout Creek.
- It also goes under the Wallkill River.
- One amazing part is where it crosses 1,100 feet (335 meters) below the Hudson River. This happens near Storm King Mountain in Orange County.
- It then reaches Putnam County on the east side of the river at Breakneck Mountain.
The aqueduct then enters Westchester County, New York. It flows into the Kensico Reservoir. This reservoir also gets water from another big pipe system called the Delaware Aqueduct.
Finally, the Catskill Aqueduct continues from the Kensico Reservoir. It ends at the Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers. From Hillview Reservoir, the water then goes into City Tunnels 1 and 2. These tunnels carry the water directly into New York City homes and businesses. If needed, water can even bypass both reservoirs.
