DeRuyter Reservoir facts for kids

Quick facts for kids DeRuyter Reservoir
A portion of DeRuyter Reservoir pictured from the dam
DeRuyter Reservoir Location in New York Show map of New York DeRuyter Reservoir Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Madison County, Onondaga County, New York, United States
Coordinates	42°48′53″N 75°53′27″W / 42.81472°N 75.89083°W / 42.81472; -75.89083
Type	Reservoir
Primary inflows	Mill Brook
Primary outflows	Limestone Creek
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	576 acres (2.33 km2)
Average depth	15 feet (4.6 m)
Max. depth	53 ft (16 m)
Shore length1	5.8 miles (9.3 km)
Surface elevation	1,280 ft (390 m)
Islands	2
Settlements	Puckerville, New York
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

DeRuyter Reservoir is a lake made by people. It is also called Tioughnioga Lake. You can find it north of Puckerville, New York.

This lake is home to many different kinds of fish. Some of the fish you might find include smallmouth bass, pickerel, yellow perch, and walleye. You can also see rock bass, black bullhead, and common sunfish. If you want to visit the lake, there is a way to get in on the south shore. It is located near a general store, and there might be a small fee to enter.

History of DeRuyter Reservoir

Building the Reservoir

DeRuyter Reservoir was planned a long time ago. In 1861, people decided to build a reservoir on Limestone Creek. Construction began soon after this decision. The reservoir was officially opened in 1863. Charles A. Beach was in charge of building it.

The main reason for creating the reservoir was to help the Erie Canal. The canal needed extra water during dry times of the year. Water from the upper Tioughnioga Creek was redirected into the new reservoir. By 1862, the reservoir was already being used, even though it was not fully finished. It was completed the next year.

How the Reservoir Changed

In 1899, reports showed that the reservoir covered about 622 acres (2.52 km²). It could hold a huge amount of water, about 500,000,000 cubic feet (14,000,000 m³). The reservoir is located at the very beginning of Limestone Creek. It was designed to add about 4,000 cubic feet (110 m³) of water per minute to the canal. This supply was meant to last for 100 days.

DeRuyter Reservoir was supposed to keep the canal working well. It helped a part of the canal between "Lock No. 39 and a point nine miles west of Higginsville, New York". However, by 1864, the reservoir was not enough. People suggested building another feeder canal at Fish Creek. By 1867, it was clear that the reservoir was "entirely inadequate" to supply all the water the canal needed.

Repairs and Renovations

In the summer of 1950, the reservoir was drained. This was done so that important repairs could be made. These repairs cost around $100,000. At that time, a newspaper called The Post-Standard reported that the dam had many leaks. The dam was said to be up to 70 feet (21 m) high and 1,500 feet (460 m) wide. More recently, in 2019, the Rome Sentinel newspaper reported that the dam was going to be fixed up again.

Gallery

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  A view of DeRuyter Reservoir in summer 2020, taken from the dam

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  A view of DeRuyter Reservoir in summer 2020, taken from the dam

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  The back of the DeRuyter Reservoir dam in summer 2020, construction is ongoing

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  The DeRuyter Reservoir dam in summer 2020