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) |
East Branch Reservoir, is a reservoir in the town of Southeast, New York, near the village of Brewster. Part of the New York City water supply system, it was formed by impounding the East Branch of the Croton River. Forming part of the Croton Watershed, it was placed into service in 1891, and lies some 35 miles (56 km) north of the city, in the southeast corner of Putnam County.
History
The East Branch Reservoir has a surface area of 525 acres (2.12 km2), reaches a mean depth of 32 feet (10 m), and holds 5.2 billion US gallons (20,000,000 m3) at full capacity. It drains a 75-square mile (180 km²) area that includes Bog Brook Reservoir. Its water flows back into the East Branch of the Croton River south of the dam, then into The Diverting Reservoir, then via the Croton River to the Muscoot and the New Croton reservoirs, into the New Croton Aqueduct. Water from the aqueduct flows into the Jerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx for daily distribution.
One of two double reservoirs in NYC's system, it is connected to the Bog Brook impoundment via a 1,778-foot (547.07 m) tunnel. When the two were being built, the project's name was "Double Reservoir I". The second double reservoir project ("Double Reservoir II") would create the Croton Falls and Diverting reservoirs.
The village of Southeast Center, named for the town of Southeast, was leveled and flooded to create the reservoir. Parts of the village remain, including Sodom Rd, at the foot of the Sodom Dam, which holds the reservoir back.
Construction of the reservoir also flooded part of the village of Milltown, in the northeastern corner of Southeast, near present-day Deforest Corners. Many of the village's original buildings were moved to higher ground, onto present-day Milltown Rd, one of Southeast's longest roads running from New Fairfield, Connecticut to Route 22 in Southeast. The village of Milltown's 1-room schoolhouse still stands today as a private residence. Foundations, rock walls and roadbeds for both villages can still be seen during droughts.
