Lake Lackawanna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Lackawanna |
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 Lake Lackawanna
Location in New Jersey
Lake Lackawanna
Location in the United States
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| Location | Byram Township, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 40°57′03″N 74°41′47″W / 40.95083°N 74.69639°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface elevation | 702 ft (214 m) |
Lake Lackawanna is a beautiful lake located in northwest New Jersey, United States. It's not a natural lake, but a man-made one, also known as a reservoir. This lake was created over a hundred years ago during a big construction project.
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How Lake Lackawanna Was Formed
Lake Lackawanna was made by accident, in a way! It was formed when workers were digging up a lot of earth and rocks. This material was needed to build a special railroad line called the Lackawanna Cut-Off.
The Lackawanna Cut-Off Project
The Lackawanna Cut-Off was a huge railroad project built between 1908 and 1911. It was designed to be a shortcut for trains. This new route would make train travel faster and straighter across New Jersey. To build it, engineers had to move massive amounts of dirt and rock.
Digging for the Railroad
To make the railroad tracks level, workers had to dig out hills and fill in valleys. The "fill material" was the earth, rocks, and dirt they removed from one area. This material was then used to build up other parts of the railway. One of the places they dug a lot of material from became the basin for Lake Lackawanna.
The Water Source
After the digging was done, a natural stream called Lubbers Run flowed into the large hole. This stream was then "dammed." A dam is like a big wall built across a river or stream. It holds back the water, causing it to collect and form a lake. In this case, the dam was part of the railroad construction itself. This is how Lake Lackawanna became a reservoir, filled by Lubbers Run.
