DeRuyter Reservoir (also known as Tioughnioga Lake) is a man-made
lake located north of
Puckerville, New York. Fish species present in the lake include
smallmouth bass,
pickerel,
yellow perch,
rock bass,
black bullhead,
common sunfish, and
walleye. There is access by fee on the south shore at the general store. The reservoir was constructed from 1861 to 1863 to supply water for the
Erie Canal but by the following year had proved to hold insufficient water. The dam has been worked on at least twice.
History
In 1856, an estimate for a reservoir on
Limestone Creek
Limestone Creek is long with a Drainage basin, drainage area of , and is a tributary to the Tennessee River. The river rises in Lincoln County, Tennessee, Lincoln County, Tennessee, and flows south into Madison County, Alabama, Madison County, A ...
put the cost at $118,367.55.
Construction of the reservoir was authorized by the Canal Board in January 1861, and it was opened in 1863.
Charles A. Beach was in charge of initial construction. The upper
Tioughnioga Creek Tioughnioga may refer to:
* Tioughnioga River, a tributary of the Chenango River, with two branches that converge at Cortland, New York, and flow south from there
* Givetian, also known as ''Tioughniogan'' or ''Tioughnioga'' stage, the middle s ...
was diverted into the reservoir. The initial purpose was to provide additional water to the
Erie Canal during the dry season.
In 1862, the reservoir was "brought into use, though not completed". It was completed the following year, at a total cost of $126,026.82.
In 1899, it was reported that the reservoir had of surface area and a capacity of . Located at the
headwaters of Limestone Creek, the reservoir could provide an additional per minute to the canal, for 100 days. Though DeRuyter Reservoir was supposed to ensure the canal remained navigable between "Lock No. 39 and a point nine miles west of
Higginsville, New York", the reservoir had proved insufficient by 1864, and it was suggested that a feeder canal be constructed at
Fish Creek.
By 1867, it was considered that the reservoir was 'entirely inadequate' to supply the canal.
In the summer of 1950, the reservoir was drained to facilitate repairs costing around $100,000. That year, ''
The Post-Standard'' reported that the dam was "saturated by leaks". It reportedly was up to high and wide. In 2019 the ''
Rome Sentinel'' reported that the dam was going to be renovated. The project was undertaken by Wesson group and completed by the end of 2020.
Gallery
File:DeRuyter Reservoir (Summer 2020, 3).jpg, A view of DeRuyter Reservoir in summer 2020, taken from the dam
File:DeRuyter Reservoir (Summer 2020, 2).jpg, A view of DeRuyter Reservoir in summer 2020, taken from the dam
File:DeRuyter Reservoir (back of dam, Summer 2020) (2).jpg, The back of the DeRuyter Reservoir dam in summer 2020, construction is ongoing
File:Deruyter Dam (Summer 2020).jpg, The DeRuyter Reservoir dam in summer 2020
References
External links
The State of DeRuyter Reservoir, Madison County, NY and a Plan for the Management of DeRuyter Reservoir{{authority control
Lakes of New York (state)
Lakes of Onondaga County, New York
Lakes of Madison County, New York