East Branch Reservoir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids East Branch Reservoir |
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 East Branch Reservoir
Location in New York
East Branch Reservoir
Location in the United States
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| Location | Putnam County, New York |
| Coordinates | 41°23′49″N 73°35′28″W / 41.397039°N 73.591238°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | East branch of the Croton River |
| Catchment area | 75 sq mi (190 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 525 acres (2.12 km2) |
| Average depth | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
The East Branch Reservoir is a large reservoir located in the town of Southeast, New York. It's close to the village of Brewster. This reservoir is an important part of the New York City water supply system. It was created by building a dam across the East Branch of the Croton River.
The reservoir is part of the Croton Watershed. It started providing water in 1891. You can find it about 35 miles (56 km) north of New York City, in the southeast corner of Putnam County.
About the Reservoir
The East Branch Reservoir covers an area of 525 acres (2.1 km²). It is usually about 32 feet (10 m) deep. When it's completely full, it can hold 5.2 billion US gallons (20,000,000 m³) of water.
How it Works
The reservoir collects water from a 75-square mile (180 km²) area. This area includes the Bog Brook Reservoir. Water from the East Branch Reservoir flows back into the East Branch of the Croton River, just south of the dam. From there, it goes into The Diverting Reservoir. Then, it travels along the Croton River to the Muscoot and New Croton reservoirs.
Finally, the water enters the New Croton Aqueduct. This aqueduct carries the water to the Jerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx. From there, it is distributed for daily use in New York City.
Building the Reservoir
The East Branch Reservoir is one of two "double reservoirs" in New York City's water system. It is connected to the Bog Brook Reservoir by a long tunnel, which is 1,778 feet (547.07 m) long. When these two reservoirs were being built, the project was called "Double Reservoir I." The second double reservoir project ("Double Reservoir II") created the Croton Falls and Diverting reservoirs.
To create the East Branch Reservoir, a village called Southeast Center was completely cleared and flooded. Some parts of the old village can still be seen today. For example, Sodom Road is located at the foot of the Sodom Dam, which holds back the reservoir's water.
Building the reservoir also meant flooding part of another village called Milltown. This village was in the northeastern part of Southeast. Many buildings from Milltown were carefully moved to higher ground. These buildings are now along present-day Milltown Road. This road is one of the longest in Southeast, running from New Fairfield, Connecticut to Route 22 in Southeast. The old one-room schoolhouse from Milltown still stands today as a private home. If there's a drought and the water level drops, you can sometimes see old foundations, stone walls, and roads from both villages.
