Lake Washington (New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Washington |
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 Lake Washington
Location in New York
Lake Washington
Location in the United States
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| Location | Orange County, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°29′28″N 74°04′05″W / 41.491°N 74.068°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Silver Stream |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Water volume | 1.5 billion US gallons (5,700,000 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 301 feet (92 m) |
Lake Washington is a very important reservoir in New York, United States. It provides most of the drinking water for the city of Newburgh. The lake is located just southwest of Newburgh. It is partly within the city and also in the nearby towns of Newburgh and New Windsor.
Lake Washington holds about 1.5 billion US gallons (5.7 million cubic meters) of water. This is roughly how much water the city uses in a whole year. You can also find fun places like picnic areas at Masterson Park. This park is near the lake's spillway along NY 207.
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History of Lake Washington
Lake Washington became a reservoir in 1907. However, it had been supplying water to a smaller pond called Monell's Pond since 1852. The dam at the lake has been made taller many times. This was done to hold even more water for the city.
Keeping the Water Clean
In 2016, the city had a short water emergency. They started using Browns Pond, which is their backup water source. This happened because levels of a certain substance were found in Lake Washington. These levels were close to the guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Scientists are still trying to find out where this substance came from. A pond on the Stewart Air Guard Base had higher levels. Silver Stream, which flows into Lake Washington, comes from that pond. If Brown's Pond runs low, Newburgh might need to get water from the Catskill Aqueduct. This is part of the New York City water supply system.
Masterson Park
Masterson Park is a special place for people to enjoy the outdoors. It was named after Frank Masterson, a local resident. Frank had a dream of creating a place where everyone could go fishing. This included people with disabilities, senior citizens, and military veterans.
Park Activities and Rules
After Frank Masterson passed away in 1973, his friends decided to make his dream come true. Masterson Park officially opened the next year, in 1974. The city's Recreation Department manages the park. Fishing is allowed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can catch fish like Trout and pickerel here. If you want to go out on the water, you can rent boats for $6 to $14.
