Lake Shenorock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Shenorock |
|
|---|---|
View of Lake Shenorock from "Bass Rock"
|
|
 Lake Shenorock
Location in New York
|
|
| Location | Westchester County, New York |
| Coordinates | 41°19′55″N 73°44′22″W / 41.33185°N 73.73932°W |
| Type | lake |
| Surface area | 5.2 hectares (13 acres) |
| Average depth | 1.1 metres (3 ft 7 in) |
Lake Shenorock is a beautiful lake located in the small community of Shenorock. This area is part of the town of Somers, New York. The lake is used for fishing and is an important part of New York City's drinking water supply.
Years ago, people used to swim in Lake Shenorock. However, after the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972, swimming stopped in 1977. This change happened so the lake could become a source of clean drinking water. Lake Shenorock is connected to the Croton Reservoir System. It flows into the Amawalk Reservoir, which helps provide water to the people living in New York City.
Here are some quick facts about Lake Shenorock:
- Basin: Lower Hudson River
- Size: About 5.2 hectares (which is like 13 acres)
- How it formed: It's a natural lake that was made bigger by a dam.
- Watershed Area: About 400 hectares (or 988 acres)
- Average Depth: About 1.1 meters (or 3.6 feet)
- Deepest Point: About 2.3 meters (or 7.5 feet)
Contents
Where is Lake Shenorock Located?
Lake Shenorock is found at these coordinates: 41.331850 degrees North and -73.739323 degrees West. This means it's in Westchester County, New York. The lake is located just north of the Amawalk Reservoir.
How is Lake Shenorock Used Today?
Lake Shenorock is officially classified as a "Class B" lake. This means it was once meant for swimming. You can still find a beach, a concrete dock, and a dam along its shore.
Even though swimming is no longer allowed, Lake Shenorock is a popular spot for recreational fishing. However, the lake's water quality isn't perfect. Sometimes, there's a lot of algae, and the water isn't very clear. This happens because of high levels of phosphorus in the water. Phosphorus helps algae grow quickly, which can reduce oxygen levels and make the water cloudy.
What Animals Live in Lake Shenorock?
Lake Shenorock is a warmwater fishery. This means it's a good home for fish that prefer warmer water. The state of New York does not add fish to the lake. The fish found here are naturally living in the lake.
You can find many types of fish, including:
- Largemouth bass
- Crappie
- Sunfish (like bluegill)
- Catfish
Besides fish, other animals also live around the lake. These include:
- Ducks
- Swans
- Snapping turtles (a type of chelydridae)
- Canada goose
- Muskrats
Scientists haven't fully documented all the species in the lake. So, there might be even more amazing wildlife to discover!
Past and Future Fun at the Lake
Lake Shenorock used to have two beaches where people could swim. But these beaches were closed in 1977. This was done so the lake could become a backup water supply for the Amawalk and Shenorock water districts. It also became an important source for the Amawalk Reservoir.
Recently, a group called the United Owners Association of Shenorock suggested a plan. They want to create a "Park District" so that swimming could return to the lake. For this to happen, the lake needs some improvements. The lake is currently undergoing a process called eutrophication. This means it's getting too many nutrients, which causes problems like too much algae. To fix this, projects like dredging (removing mud from the bottom) and adding aeration devices (to put more oxygen in the water) would be needed. If you want to learn more about this plan, you can check out the Shenorock Park District YouTube page.
Keeping the Lake Healthy
Lake Shenorock is changing faster than it should. This is due to a process called eutrophication. It's happening quickly because of runoff from fertilizers. These fertilizers contain chemicals like Phosphorus. When these chemicals wash into the lake, they act like food for algae and plants. This causes the lake to fill up with plant life faster than normal. If this continues, the lake could eventually turn into a swamp. Keeping harmful chemicals out of the lake is important to protect its health.
How Lake Shenorock's Water Travels
Lake Shenorock doesn't have any major rivers flowing into it. However, water released from Lake Shenorock flows directly into the Amawalk Reservoir. From there, the water has an important journey.
Water from the Amawalk Reservoir flows south into the Muscoot River. This river then carries the water into the Muscoot Reservoir. After that, the water continues into the New Croton Reservoir.
A lot of this water then enters the New Croton Aqueduct. This is like a giant underground pipe that carries water to the Bronx and northern Manhattan in New York City. On average, the New Croton Aqueduct provides about 10% of New York City's drinking water!
Any water that doesn't go into the New Croton Aqueduct eventually flows into the Hudson River. This happens near a place called Croton Point. So, Lake Shenorock plays a small but important role in providing water for many people.
