Cayuga Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cayuga Lake |
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Cayuga Lake as viewed in the late afternoon from Cornell University
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 Cayuga Lake
Location in New York Adirondack Park
Cayuga Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Cayuga / Seneca / Tompkins counties, New York, US |
| Group | Finger Lakes |
| Coordinates | 42°41′00″N 76°41′46″W / 42.68333°N 76.69611°W |
| Lake type | Ground moraine |
| Primary inflows | Cayuga Inlet, Fall Creek, Taughannock Creek, Salmon Creek |
| Primary outflows | Seneca River |
| Catchment area | 2,033 km2 (785 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 38 mi (61 km) |
| Max. width | 3.5 mi (5.6 km) |
| Surface area | 172 km2 (66 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 182 ft (55 m) |
| Max. depth | 435 ft (133 m) |
| Water volume | 2.27 cu mi (9.5 km3) |
| Residence time | 18.2 years |
| Surface elevation | 381.9 ft (116.4 m) |
| Islands | 2 (Frontenac Island and Canoga Island) |
| Settlements | see article |
Cayuga Lake is the longest of the glacial Finger Lakes in central New York. It's also the second largest in surface area and volume, just a bit smaller than Seneca Lake. The lake is almost 40 miles (64 km) long. It's about 1.7 miles (2.7 km) wide on average, and at its widest point near Aurora, it stretches to 3.5 miles (5.6 km). The deepest part of the lake is around 435 feet (133 meters) deep.
The lake gets its name from the native Cayuga people who lived in this area.
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Where is Cayuga Lake?
The city of Ithaca is located at the southern end of Cayuga Lake. This city is home to Ithaca College and Cornell University.
Many towns and villages are found along the lake's shores. On the east side, you'll find places like Myers, King Ferry, Aurora, and Union Springs. On the west side, there are settlements such as Sheldrake and Poplar Beach.
Cayuga Lake has two small islands. Frontenac Island is near Union Springs on the northeast side and is not inhabited. Canoga Island is near the town of Canoga on the northwest side. People stay on Canoga Island during the summer months.
How was Cayuga Lake formed?
Cayuga Lake is located at 42°41′00″N 76°41′46″W / 42.68333°N 76.69611°W. It sits about 381.9 feet (116.4 meters) above sea level. Like the other Finger Lakes, Cayuga Lake was carved out by huge glaciers during the last ice age. This is why it's deep with steep sides, but shallow at its north and south ends.
The lake's water level is controlled by a lock called Mud Lock at its northern end. Cayuga Lake is connected to Lake Ontario by the Erie Canal. It also connects to Seneca Lake through the Seneca River. The water level is lowered in winter to prevent ice damage and to make space for lots of spring runoff.
The northern part of the lake has shallow mudflats. These mudflats and marshes are a very important resting spot for migratory birds. This area is part of the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. The southern end of the lake is also shallow and often freezes in winter.
People and the Lake
Cayuga Lake is a popular spot for people who love boating. The Allan H. Treman State Marine Park in Ithaca has a large marina and boat launch. There are also other marinas and boat launches around the lake.
Many communities use Cayuga Lake as a source of drinking water. For example, Lansing gets its water from the Bolton Point Municipal Water system, which draws from the lake.
Some systems use the lake's cool deep water to help cool buildings. This is called lake source cooling. Cooler water is pumped from the lake's depths, used to cool buildings, and then returned to the lake. Cornell University has one of these systems. Studies have shown that Cornell's system has not caused any major environmental problems.
The AES Coal Power plant, located on the eastern shore, used to use Cayuga Lake for cooling. It was shut down in August 2019 and will soon become a data center.
Did you know that Rod Serling, the creator of the famous TV series The Twilight Zone, named his production company Cayuga Productions? He and his family had a summer home at Cayuga Lake.
Fishing in Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake is a great place for fishing! The fish population is carefully managed. People enjoy catching smelt, lake trout, and smallmouth bass.
Other types of fish you might find in the lake include landlocked salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, alewife, black crappie, bluegill, pickerel, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed sunfish, rock bass, and yellow perch.
There are several public boat ramps where you can launch your boat, including at Mudlock Canal Park, Long Point State Park, Cayuga Lake State Park, and Taughannock Falls State Park.
Rivers and Streams
The main rivers and streams that flow into Cayuga Lake are Cayuga Inlet, Fall Creek, Taughannock Creek, and Salmon Creek. The lake's water then flows out into the Seneca River.
Many smaller creeks also flow into the lake:
Fun Facts and Folklore
Cayuga Lake is part of some interesting local stories and traditions.
For example, an old newspaper article from 1897 mentioned a "sea serpent" nicknamed "Old Greeny" that people claimed to see in Cayuga Lake every year for 69 years! More sightings were reported in 1974 and 1979.
The alma mater (school song) of Cornell University mentions the lake with the line "Far Above Cayuga's Waters". Ithaca College's song also talks about "Cayuga's shore".
At Wells College in Aurora, there's a tradition that if the entire lake freezes over completely, classes are canceled for one day! This last happened in 1979 and 2015, though some records suggest the only time the whole lake froze solid in the 20th century was in 1912.
Cayuga Lake, like nearby Seneca Lake, is also known for a mystery called the "Guns of the Seneca". These are strange, cannon-like booming sounds heard in the area. Many of these sounds might come from devices farmers use to scare birds away from their crops, but no one knows for sure.
Wineries Around the Lake
The area around Cayuga Lake is famous for its wineries. It's part of a special wine-growing region called the American Viticultural Area (AVA) that shares its name. This AVA was created in 1988, and now there are more than a dozen wineries, four distilleries, a cidery, and a meadery around the lake.
Images for kids
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AES Cayuga, on the eastern shore of the lake
