Tonetta Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tonetta Lake |
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 Tonetta Lake
Location in New York
Tonetta Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Brewster Hill, Putnam County, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°25′16″N 073°36′39″W / 41.42111°N 73.61083°W |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 73 acres (0.30 km2) |
| Surface elevation | 443 ft (135 m) |
Tonetta Lake (also known as Lake Tonetta) is a lovely lake found in the town of Southeast, New York. It is located just north of the village of Brewster. This lake is important because it has the only public beach in Southeast. This beach is open to people who live in the town and their guests.
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Fun at Tonetta Lake
Tonetta Lake is a great place for swimming and other water activities. It offers fun recreational swimming for everyone. The lake also provides swimming lessons for children and teens. These lessons are taught by trained lifeguards and water safety instructors. Every year, hundreds of kids sign up to learn how to swim safely at Tonetta Lake.
Keeping the Lake Healthy
Tonetta Lake is about 73-acre (300,000 m2) in size. Over the years, its health and how people can use it for fun have been at risk. This is mainly because of unwanted aquatic plants that grow too much. These plants are called "invasive" because they spread quickly and can harm the lake's natural balance.
Fighting Invasive Plants
In 2004, the Town Board created a group called the Tonetta Lake Advisory Committee. Their job is to help protect and improve the quality of Tonetta Lake. One big problem they faced was too much Eurasian water milfoil, a type of invasive plant.
To help control these plants, a special method was used. In 2006, 475 triploid grass carp were released into the lake. These fish eat the extra plants, helping to clear the water.
Success in Other Lakes
Using grass carp has worked well in other lakes nearby. For example, in 1994, officials put 2,565 grass carp into Lake Mahopac. This was also to control a big invasion of Eurasian water milfoil. The problem was solved in just two years and the lake has stayed clear since then. Grass carp have also been used successfully in Lake Carmel.
