Ashokan Reservoir

Ashokan Reservoir
Ashokan Reservoir in July 2016
Location	Ulster County, New York, United States
Coordinates	41°57′N 74°13′W / 41.950°N 74.217°W / 41.950; -74.217Coordinates: 41°57′N 74°13′W / 41.950°N 74.217°W / 41.950; -74.217
Type	Reservoir
Primary inflows	Esopus Creek
Primary outflows	Esopus Creek
Basin countries	United States

Max. length	12 mi (19 km)
Max. width	1 mi (2 km)
Surface area	8,300 acres (3,400 ha)
Average depth	14 m (46 ft)
Max. depth	190 ft (58 m)
Water volume	1.229 billion gallons (465 million m³)
Shore length¹	40 mi (60 km)
Surface elevation	585 ft (178 m)
¹ Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

The Ashokan Reservoir /əˈʃoʊ.kænˌ/ (Iroquois for "place of fish")^[1] is a reservoir in Ulster County, New York. The reservoir is in the eastern end of the Catskill Park, and is one of several in the region created to provide the City of New York with water. It is the city's deepest reservoir, 190 feet (58 m) deep near the dam at the former site of Bishop Falls.

History

Olivebridge Dam under construction to build the Ashokan Reservoir circa 1910

New York City turned to the Catskills for water in the early 20th century after discovering that a group of speculators calling itself the Ramapo Water Company had bought up riparian rights to many water sources further south in Rockland, Orange and Ulster counties. The Catskills were more desirable, as state-owned Forest Preserve land in the region could not, under the state constitution, be sold to any other party. A recent amendment to that section of the state constitution also allowed up to 3% of the total Forest Preserve land to be flooded for reservoirs.

In 1905 the New York State Legislature enacted legislation that created the New York City Board of Water Supply and allowed the city to acquire lands and build dams, reservoirs and aqueducts in the Catskills.^[2]

Local opponents of the reservoir cast doubt on its soundness, saying it could never hold enough water (it would be one of the largest reservoirs in the world at the time),^[3] but when it was filled from 1912 to 1914, they were silenced. Residents of the area to be flooded did not take kindly to the idea, and fought eminent domain proceedings bitterly. They were aided by local lawyers familiar with the checkered history of Catskill land claims. It would be 1940 before the last were settled.

The Ashokan Reservoir was constructed between 1907 and 1915, by the New York City Board of Water Supply, by impounding the Esopus Creek.^[2] Thousands of acres of farmland were submerged.^[3] The impoundment covered twelve communities located in a valley where farming, logging, and quarrying prevailed. Approximately two thousand residents^[2] along with roads, homes, shops, farms, churches, and mills were either moved or abandoned, but most of them were torn down. According to Bob Steuding, a humanities professor at Ulster County Community College in Stone Ridge, the area that became the West Basin of the reservoir contained 504 dwellings, nine blacksmith shops, 35 stores, 10 churches, 10 schools, seven sawmills and a gristmill.^[3] Several of these communities were re-established in nearby locations. Nearly 12-and-a-half miles (20 km) of a local railroad line (the Ulster and Delaware Railroad) was moved and cemeteries were relocated.

The dam was constructed mainly by local laborers, as well as African-Americans and Italian immigrants, who also did the job of razing most of the trees and buildings in the area. Fights would often break out in the labor camps where the crews would eat and sleep, so a police force, which would later become the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) Police, was established to keep peace in the camps. The dam was constructed with Rosendale cement, which at the time was the world's strongest cement. When the dam was completed, giant steam whistles blew for one hour, signaling to people in the valley to evacuate immediately.

Some relocated communities survive along the reservoir's banks, such as West Shokan, Olivebridge, Ashokan and Shokan. Most, however, such as Brown's Station, are remembered in historical markers along routes 28 and 28A.

A view from a rocky mountain ledge over a lower mountain to a distant, winding lake

The reservoir seen from the summit of Wittenberg Mountain. Samuel's Point is in the foreground.

The moniker "Ashokan", is more likely taken from the local Algonquin language than the Iroquois. Iroquois territory began a short distance north of Olive. The languages did have some commonalities in place names.^[4]

Statistics

The resulting body of water is the oldest New York City–owned reservoir in the Catskill Mountains, being placed into service as long ago as 1915. It is located at the eastern end of Ulster County, being about 13 miles (21 km) west of Kingston, New York, and approximately 93 miles (150 km) north of New York City. The reservoir is one of NYC's largest according to its surface area and volume. At full capacity, the reservoir can hold 122.9 billion US gallons (465,000,000 m³) of water, has a 255-square-mile (408 km²) drainage basin, and is over 180 feet (54.9 m) deep at its deepest point, making it the city's deepest reservoir.

Bridge at dividing line between basins

The reservoir is encircled by Routes 28 and 28A, along with many relocated villages. It is separated into two basins by Reservoir Rd., which has a causeway that runs over the middle of it. Water does not pass freely between the two basins, and the eastern basin, which borders the relocated villages of Ashokan, Glenford, and West Hurley, along with the non-relocated village of Stony Hollow, is seven inches lower than the western basin. The western basin borders the relocated villages of Boiceville, Brodhead, Olive, Olivebridge, Shokan, and West Shokan. There is also an abandoned road that runs along the spillway of the reservoir, where water runs back into the Esopus Creek by Olivebridge.

Some of this water comes from the Schoharie Reservoir via the 16 mile (25.6 kilometre) Shandaken Tunnel, which empties into the Esopus Creek. It also gets water from said creek and its many tributaries. It flows another 11 miles (18 km) to the Ashokan Reservoir. The water then flows into Olivebridge, New York to enter the 92-mile (148 km) Catskill Aqueduct. It flows into the Kensico Reservoir, just north of White Plains, to mix with water from the Delaware Aqueduct. The water flows a few more miles into the Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers, the main collecting point for the water.

Permitted activities

Due to the need to ensure the safety of the water system, and to make sure the nearly century-old dams stay intact, only limited activities are permitted around the reservoir property, including fishing and logging. One needs a special license to do such activities. For instance, if one is to go boating or fishing, which the reservoir is well known to the locals for, one would need a public access permit that was issued after 2002. Otherwise, it is no longer valid.

Sunset over Ashokan High Point, a nearby mountain which provides a scenic backdrop to the reservoir

Also, such activities as swimming and diving are strictly prohibited. This is in order to make sure the water stays as clean as possible. It is also illegal to bring gasoline-powered motorcraft into the reservoir. This is in case gasoline leaks into the water and pollutes it. Pine and spruce trees were planted around the banks at the time of dam and lake construction to prevent erosion. It was also believed by engineers of the time that broad-leaved deciduous trees polluted the water with nutrients more so than conifers.

The south end of the closed spillway road

After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the city and state decided to permanently close the spillway road to vehicular traffic as a security precaution. This has added a great deal more traveling time and distance for those on the south side of the reservoir to reach locations to the north. The city compensates the local school district for the extra fuel costs its buses have incurred. The Reservoir Road causeway, however, is still open.

References

↑ Alfred Douglas Flinn (September 1909). "The World's Greatest Aqueduct: Water From The Catskill Mountains To The City Of New York". The Century Magazine. New York City: The Century Company. LXXIII (5): 707–721. OCLC 4279873. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
1 2 3 "History of the NYC Water supply", Catskill Watershed Corporation
1 2 3 Loftin, A.J. "The Ashokan Reservoir", Hudson Valley Magazine, July 17, 2008
↑ Susan B. Wick - Lenape' history keeper 2000.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ashokan Reservoir.

New York City's Water Supply System
Croton reservoirs	New Croton Boyds Corner Middle Branch East Branch / Bog Brook Titicus West Branch Amawalk Muscoot Cross River Croton Falls / Diverting
Catskill / Delaware reservoirs	Ashokan Kensico Schoharie Roundout Neversink Pepacton Cannonsville
Controlled Lakes	Kirk Gilead Gleneida
Waterways	Croton West Branch Middle Branch East Branch Titicus Muscoot Cross Esopus Neversink Rondout Delaware East Branch West Branch
Aqueducts	New Croton Croton Catskill Shandaken Delaware Neversink East Delaware West Delaware
Storage Reservoirs	Croton Distributing Highbridge Hillview Jerome Park Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Silver Lake Ridgewood Williamsbridge
Distribution Tunnels	NYC No. 1 NYC No. 2 NYC No. 3 (under construction) Richmond
Italics indicate a decommissioned site.

Hudson River watershed
Tributaries	Batten Kill Black Meadow Creek Bowery Creek Breakneck Brook Canajoharie Creek Caroga Creek Casperkill Catskill Creek Cayadutta Creek Cedar River Claverack Creek Clove Brook Cobleskill Creek Coeymans Creek Coxsackie Creek Cross River Croton River East Branch Croton River East Branch Sacandaga River East Canada Creek Eightmile Creek Esopus Creek Fall Kill Fishkill Creek Fonteyn Kill Fulmer Creek Hannacrois Creek Honnedaga Brook Hoosic River Jackson Creek Jan De Bakkers Kill Kaaterskill Creek Kayaderosseras Kinderhook Creek Kisco River Lake Creek Little Shawangunk Kill Maritje Kill Miami River Mill Creek Mohawk River Moodna Creek Moordener Kill Moyer Creek Muddy Kill Neepaulakating Creek Normans Kill Nowadaga Creek Onesquethaw Creek Oriskany Creek Otsquago Creek Otter Kill Papakating Creek Peekskill Hollow Creek Pocantico River Pochuck Creek Poesten Kill Potic Creek Quassaick Creek Roeliff Jansen Kill Rondout Creek Sacandaga River Sauquoit Creek Saw Kill Saw Mill River Sawyer Kill Schoharie Creek Schroon River Shawangunk Kill Sparkill Creek Sprout Creek Steele Creek Stockport Creek Stony Clove Creek Taghkanic Creek Tenmile Creek Tin Brook Titicus River Verkeerder Kill Vloman Kill Wallkill River Walloomsac River Wappinger Creek Wawayanda Creek West Branch Papakating Creek West Branch Sacandaga River West Canada Creek Wynants Kill
Lakes	Alcove Reservoir Ashokan Reservoir Basic Creek Reservoir Beacon Reservoir Bog Brook Reservoir Cedar Lake Chadwick Lake Chub Lake Cross River Reservoir Croton Falls Reservoir Dyken Pond East Branch Reservoir East Caroga Lake Fall Lake Franklinton Vlaie Garnet Lake Glenmere Lake Great Sacandaga Lake Great Vlaie Henderson Lake Honnedaga Lake Indian Lake Lizard Pond Lake Maratanza Muscoot Reservoir Lake Neepaulin New Croton Reservoir Notch Lake Piseco Lake Lake Pleasant Queechy Lake Rondout Reservoir Sacandaga Lake Saratoga Lake Sturgeon Pool Surprise Lake Sylvan Lake Lake Tear of the Clouds Thompson Pond Titicus Reservoir Trout Lake West Caroga Lake Whaley Lake Winnisook Lake
Towns	Albany Alpine Amsterdam Bayonne Beacon Bedford Beekman Bennington Bethlehem Blooming Grove Carmel Catskill Cliffside Park Clifton Park Cohoes Colonie Cortlandt East Fishkill East Greenbush Edgewater Englewood Cliffs Fishkill Fort Lee Glenville Gloversville Greenburgh Guilderland Halfmoon Herkimer Hoboken Hyde Park Jersey City Kingston Kirkland LaGrange Lloyd Malta Middletown Milton Monroe Montgomery Moreau Mount Pleasant New Castle New Hartford New Paltz New Windsor New York City Newburgh Niskayuna North Adams North Bergen Ossining Peekskill Plattekill Poughkeepsie Queensbury Rome Rotterdam Saugerties Schenectady Shawangunk Somers Southeast Sparta Tenafly Troy Utica Vernon Wallkill Wappinger Warwick Weehawken West New York Whitestown Wilton Yonkers Yorktown
Landmarks	Adirondack Mountains Adirondack Park Ashokan Bridge Blenheim Bridge Buskirk Bridge Catskill Mountains Champlain Canal Cohoes Falls Copeland Bridge Delaware and Hudson Canal Eagleville Bridge East River Erie Canal George Washington Bridge Harlem River Helderberg Escarpment Hudson Highlands State Park Kaaterskill Clove Kaaterskill Falls Kill Van Kull Kingston–Rhinecliff Bridge Mid-Hudson Bridge Newburgh–Beacon Bridge The Palisades Perrine's Bridge Plotter Kill Preserve Pollepel Island Popolopen Rexleigh Bridge Rip Van Winkle Bridge Salisbury Center Bridge Schoharie Bridge Shushan Bridge Sleepy Hollow Statue of Liberty Taconic Mountains Tappan Zee Bridge Verkeerderkill Falls Verrazano-Narrows Bridge Walkway over the Hudson Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge West Canada Lake Wilderness Area West Point

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