Lake Kanawauke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lake Kanawauke
Middle Lake Kanawauke
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Location	Orange / Rockland counties, New York, United States
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	186 acres (75 ha)

Lake Kanawauke is a lake mostly made by people. It is found in Harriman State Park in New York. The name "Kanawauke" comes from the Onondaga language. It means "place of much water." The lake has three main parts: Lower, Middle, and Upper. Together, they cover about 186 acres. Lake Kanawauke is located in both Orange County and Rockland County in New York State.

History of Lake Kanawauke

The different parts of Lake Kanawauke were built a long time ago. The Palisades Interstate Park Commission helped create these lakes. A person named William A. Welch was in charge of this work.

Building Lower Kanawauke

Lower Kanawauke was built in 1915. Workers created a dam on Stony Brook to form this lake. The Boy Scouts used this lake for camping. By 1930, there were fourteen Boy Scout camps around Lower Kanawauke.

Building Middle Kanawauke

Middle Kanawauke was built in 1916. It was made by building a dam across Stillwater Creek. The Brooklyn Boy Scouts used this part of the lake. They set up six camps there. They also built a trail system called the White Bar trail, which was about 35 miles long.

Upper Kanawauke and Its Past

Upper Kanawauke is special because it is the only natural lake of the three. It was not built by people. In the mid-1800s, a small group of people lived by its shore. Starting in 1917, seven Boy Scout camps were built around Upper Kanawauke. One of these camps later became a Girl Scout camp. This camp was named Camp Quid Nunc, which means "What now" in Latin.