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The Croton River ( ) is a river in southern
The Croton River was the main source of the city water supply from 1842 to the mid-20th century. Water was brought to the city through the
The Croton River ( ) is a river in southern New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
with three principal tributaries: the West Branch, 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 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 ...
, 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
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 ...
.
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 City ...
, flows 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 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.
...
, which feeds 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 ...
supplying water to New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Excess water leaves the spillway at 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.
...
and empties 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 Ne ...
at 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 ...
at 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. The river has a watershed area of .
History
The Croton River was the main source of the city water supply from 1842 to the mid-20th century. Water was brought to the city through the Croton Aqueduct
The Croton Aqueduct or Old Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842. The great aqueducts, which were among the first in the United States, carried water by gravity fro ...
, later called the Old Croton Aqueduct. The larger 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 ...
opened in 1890. The Old Croton Aqueduct remained in service until 1955.
Seeking to expand the city's water supply, engineers of the city Aqueduct Commission designed in 1884 a masonry dam spanning the Croton River near its mouth. The resulting storage reservoir, impounding a watershed, would hold at full capacity. This dam, now known as 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.
...
, was completed in 1906. Further upstream, two tributaries of the Croton were dammed, creating 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 ...
, which was placed into service in 1911.
In the 1890s, rather than building an expensive filtration system, the city ordered the destruction or relocation of any village or hamlet in the watershed that was considered to be a potential pollution source for the Croton or its tributaries. Many were moved.
In the late 1990s, the city stopped using water from the Croton system as it became more and more unsuitable for drinking. In 2004, a project was started to rehabilitate the New Croton Aqueduct and build the Croton Water Filtration Plant
The Croton Water Filtration Plant, is a drinking water treatment facility in New York City which began operation in 2015. The plant construction cost was over $3 billion, The facility was built under Van Cortlandt Park's Mosholu Golf Course in ...
, which came online in May 2015. By the early 21st century the Croton system was supplying 10% of the city's water.
See also
*Water supply network
A water supply network or water supply system is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components that provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes the following:
# A drainage basin (see water purification – sou ...
*List of rivers of New York
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented by order of confluence with their main stem, from mouth to source.
Long I ...
*Croton Gorge Park
Croton Gorge Park is a park in Cortlandt, New York owned and operated by Westchester County. It consists of at the base of New Croton Dam, which is one of the largest hand-hewn structures in the world(after the Great Pyramids and the Great Wal ...
Notes
References
Rivers of Westchester County, New York Tributaries of the Hudson River Croton Watershed Rivers of New York (state) {{WestchesterCountyNY-geo-stub