''This page is about the Croton River watershed, a hydrological feature. For the component of the New York City water supply system with a similar name, see''

Croton Watershed The Croton Watershed is the New York City water supply system's name for its southernmost watershed and its infrastructure,{{efn, Including dams, spillways, tunnels, pumps, and related mechanical components not part of a hydrological drainage bas ...

The Croton River watershed is the drainage basin of the

Croton River The Croton River ( ) is a river in southern New York with three principal tributaries: the West Branch, Middle Branch, and East Branch. Their waters, all part of the New York City water supply system, join downstream from the Croton Falls Rese ...

and its seven tributary rivers, a hydrological feature in southeastern

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

. Spanning large swaths of Putnam and Westchester counties, it is over in area and holds some of fresh water. Largely physically overlapping the

New York City water supply system A combination of aqueducts, reservoirs, and tunnels supplies fresh water to New York City. With three major water systems ( Croton, Catskill, and Delaware) stretching up to away from the city, its water supply system is one of the most exte ...

, the Croton River watershed represents the drainage and flow of some seven rivers, one dozen

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

s, three

controlled lake A controlled lake is both a general and specific term to describe a body of water. In its general sense it describes a lake or reservoir which has its water level controlled by some form of dam. In the specific, it refers to three small lakes wit ...

s,New York State Department of Health Regulations, Part 128-1.6(a)(20) - Definitions: Controlled lake
/ref> large

Lake Mahopac Mahopac ( or ) is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in the town of Carmel in Putnam County, New York, United States. Also known as Lake Mahopac, the exurb is located some north of New York City, on US Route 6 at the county's southern centr ...

, and countless smaller lakes and ponds. The vast majority of this water ends up at the

Jerome Park Reservoir The Jerome Park Reservoir is a reservoir located in Jerome Park, a neighborhood in the North Bronx, New York City. The reservoir is surrounded by DeWitt Clinton High School, the Bronx High School of Science, Lehman College, and Walton High Scho ...

in the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

via the

New Croton Aqueduct The New Croton Aqueduct is an aqueduct in the New York City water supply system in Westchester County, New York carrying the water of the Croton Watershed. Built roughly parallel to the Old Croton Aqueduct it originally augmented, the new sys ...

, from which it is distributed to New York City. Water in excess of the City's needs spills over the

New Croton Dam The New Croton Dam (also known as Cornell Dam) is a dam forming the New Croton Reservoir, both parts of the New York City water supply system. It stretches across the Croton River near Croton-on-Hudson, New York, about north of New York City. ...

at the

New Croton Reservoir The New Croton Reservoir is a reservoir in Westchester County, New York, part of the New York City water supply system lying approximately north of New York City. It is the collecting point for water from all reservoirs in the Croton Watershed. ...

and is carried by the

into the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

Croton-on-Hudson, New York Croton-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 8,327 at the 2020 United States census over 8,070 at the 2010 census. It is located in the town of Cortlandt as part of New York City's northern subur ...

, about 30 miles north of the Metropolitan area.

Definition

The Croton River watershed is a hydrological feature, the drainage basin of the

and its tributaries. It is not synonymous with the

, a term describing the rivers, reservoirs, dams, pump systems, and other infrastructure of the southernmost watershed of the

. Numerous small natural lakes and ponds, as well as large

, are within the river's watershed but not owned, leased, or controlled by the City water supply system (even though they too ultimately drain into it). A map of the actual Croton Watershed is foun
here.
The

( ) is a river in southern New York with three principal tributaries: the

West Branch West Branch may refer to: Communities * West Branch, Iowa, city in Cedar and Johnson counties * West Branch, Michigan, city in Ogemaw County * West Branch, New Brunswick, in the Local Service District of Weldford Parish * West Branch River John, i ...

Middle Branch Middle or The Middle may refer to: * Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits. Places * Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man * Middle Bay (disambiguation) * Middle Brook (disambiguation) * Middle Creek ...

, and East Branch. Their waters, all part of the City water supply system, join downstream from the

Croton Falls Reservoir The Croton Falls Reservoir is a reservoir in the New York City water supply system in the Putnam County, New York townships of Carmel, and Southeast, roughly north of New York City. Part of the system's Croton Watershed, it was formed by impou ...

. Together, their waters and the reservoirs linked to them represent the northern half of the New York City water system's Croton Watershed. Shortly after the confluence of the three Croton River branches the Croton River proper, along with its tributary, the

Muscoot River The Muscoot River is a short tributary of the Croton River in Putnam and Westchester counties in the state of New York. Approximately long and running north-to-south, it lies within the Croton River watershed and is part of the New York Cit ...

, flow into the

Muscoot Reservoir The Muscoot Reservoir is a reservoir in the New York City water supply system in northern Westchester County, New York, located directly north of the village of Katonah. Part of the system's Croton Watershed, it is 25 miles (40 kilometres) north ...

, after which it empties into the

, which feeds the

supplying water to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

via the

in the

. Excess water leaves the spillway at the

and empties into the

Croton Point Croton Point Park is a Westchester County park in the village of Croton-on-Hudson. The park has several public attractions including a miniature aircraft airport, boat launch, tent and RV camping, cabin rental, cross-country skiing, fishing, gro ...

, about north of New York City.

Watershed

Waterways

** East Branch *

Titicus River The Titicus River is an river in southwestern Connecticut and southeastern New York that drains into the Titicus Reservoir, part of New York City's water supply system. Part of both the Croton River watershed and the system's Croton Watershed, ...

* Cross River

Lakes and ponds

* Lake Carmel * Long Pond (Carmel)

Reservoirs

* Boyds Corner *

* Croton Falls / Diverting * East Branch /

Bog Brook A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; ...

* Titicus * Cross River * Amawalk * Muscoot * New Croton

Controlled lakes

Kirk Kirk is a Scottish and former Northern English word meaning "church". It is often used specifically of the Church of Scotland. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it. Basic meaning and etymology As a common noun, ''kirk' ...

Gilead Gilead or Gilad (; he, גִּלְעָד ''Gīləʿāḏ'', ar, جلعاد, Ǧalʻād, Jalaad) is the ancient, historic, biblical name of the mountainous northern part of the region of Transjordan.''Easton's Bible Dictionary'Galeed''/ref> ...

* Gleneida

Aqueduct

* The

, completed in 1890, brings water from the

in Westchester and Putnam counties.

Recreation

Limited recreation is permitted within the Croton Watershed. Its guidelines and requirements are liste
here

Notes

References

External links

NYC DEP Watershed Recreation
{{coord missing, Hudson Valley Water infrastructure of New York City Watersheds of the United States