Hoopes Reservoir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hoopes Reservoir |
|
|---|---|
Hoopes Reservoir in spring
|
|
 Hoopes Reservoir
Location in Delaware
Hoopes Reservoir
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | New Castle County, Delaware, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°46′27″N 75°38′03″W / 39.77426°N 75.63425°W |
| Surface area | 187 acres (76 ha) |
| Water volume | 479,160,000 cubic feet (13,568,000 m3) |
Hoopes Reservoir is a large lake in New Castle County, Delaware. It's not a natural lake, but a reservoir. This means it's a man-made lake built to store water. It is the biggest reservoir in all of Delaware.
The reservoir was created to hold water from Old Mill Stream and Red Clay Creek. It started collecting water in 1932. The city of Wilmington, Delaware, built it to provide drinking water for its people.
About Hoopes Reservoir
Hoopes Reservoir covers a surface area of 187 acres. That's about the size of 140 football fields! It can hold a huge amount of water, about 479 million cubic feet. This water is very important for the people living in Wilmington.
Since 1971, the reservoir and the land around it have been open to the public. People can visit and enjoy the area. It's a great place to see nature and learn about where our drinking water comes from.
The Edgar M. Hoopes Dam
The reservoir holds its water back with a very strong dam called the Edgar M. Hoopes Dam. This dam was first built in 1932. It is made of concrete and is very tall, standing 135 feet high. It is also very long, stretching 845 feet across.
The dam has been updated and strengthened several times since it was first built. It is named after Edgar M. Hoopes. He was the Chief Engineer for the Wilmington Water Department from 1913 to 1918. A special plaque at the site tells us about his important work.
