New York City’s Water Story: From Mountain Top to Tap

SCHOHARIE COUNTY

Schoharie Reservoir 1,130 FEET Delaware Watershed Gilboa Catskill Watershed Stamford The water we use today is the same water that fell as

C rain when dinosaurs roamed a D t Prattsville Siuslaw s DELAWARE COUNTY West Branch Delaware e k l i the earth. In its endless a l Windham l w a W r cycle, water is the only e a t W e GREENE COUNTY rs Schoharie Creek substance that naturally a h te e r d Grand Gorge sh exists as a solid, e d liquid or gas. Delhi Lenox Roxbury East Branch Delaware Hunter Tannersville Andes Walton HUNTER MOUNTAIN Water’s journey from 4,040 FEET mountain top to tap begins Margaretville Shandaken Tunnel when rain and snow fall on COLUMBIA COUNTY watersheds, the areas

Massachusetts of land that catch, absorb, Downsville Phoenicia and carry water downhill to gently and swiftly Deposit Pepacton Woodstock flowing streams. Cannonsville Reservoir Reservoir 1,150 FEET 1,280 FEET Esopus Creek SLIDE MOUNTAIN Boiceville West Delaware Tunnel East Delaware Tunnel 4,180 FEET Streams provide life-cycle Neversink Frost Valley needs for fish and other RIver aquatic organisms. Oxygen is Ashokan Rondout trapped in the fresh water as Creek Reservoir Claryville Olivebridge 590 FEET Kingston it tumbles over rocks into deep pools. Overhanging

tree branches keep water r C e

A v cool as fresh water T i Grahamsville S K R DUTCHESS COUNTY continues its journey. IL L n Neversink A

Neversink Reservoir Tunnel Q o s 1,440 FEET U s

E d Liberty Rondout Reservoir d

Water is naturally filtered D

u u

U

840 FEET U

C C

H H

T by the soil and tree roots in T dense forests as it travels toward reservoirs. The sun’s DELAWARE AQUEDUCT ULSTER COUNTY

heat energy releases some Ellenville

Poughkeepsie water molecules back

into the atmosphere as

gas, continuing the

hydrologic cycle.

SULLIVAN COUNTY

Connecticut

Croton Thousands of skilled

workers constructed dams Pawling D Watershed and reservoirs to store large e la amounts of clean water and w aqueducts to carry it great a re distances by gravity R Newburgh iv Beacon from watersheds to er Boyd’s Corners Reservoir New York City. Clearpool West Branch Reservoir Bog Brook Reservoir Lake Gleneida Pennsylvania Lake Middle Branch Gilead The 41-mile Old Croton Aqueduct Kirk Reservoir PUTNAM Lake East Branch Reservoir was the first to deliver a clean Legend COUNTY Diverting Port Jervis ORANGE COUNTY and plentiful supply of water to Reservoir Mahopac Croton Falls New York City. The High Bridge, Reservoir New York State Amawalk completed in 1848 and hailed New Jersey Reservoir as an engineering masterpiece, Titicus Reservoir carried the aqueduct across County Boundary Peekskill Muscoot Reservoir the Harlem River on large Cross River Reservoir stone arches. New Croton Reservoir New York City Watershed 196 FEET Water flowed through the Croton New York Aqueduct, filling reservoirs Watershed Boundary Mount Kisco where the Great Lawn in Central Park and the New York Public Reservoir, River, Lake and Water Body Library on Fifth Avenue now DELAWARE AQUEDUCT ROCKLAND COUNTY NEW stand. New Yorkers rejoiced in CROTON City/Town AQUEDUCT 1862 when another reservoir was built in Central Park to support New York City the needs of a growing city. Hudson River Kensico Reservoir 357 FEET

Today, thousands of miles of Old Croton Aqueduct CATSKILL AQUEDUCT tunnels and pipes deliver one billion gallons of water each Area of New York State New Croton Aqueduct OLD CROTON AQUEDUCT day from the Croton, Catskill, WESTCHESTER COUNTY and Delaware watersheds to Long Island more than 9 million people. How Catskill Aqueduct Sound do you use water? How much Hillview Reservoir water do you think you use? Delaware Aqueduct 295 FEET Jerome Park Reservoir 135 FEET Water Tunnel High Bridge After water is used for Bronx cooking, bathing, and other Model Forest activities, it travels down the st River Central Park Reservoir a drain and through sewer pipes E to wastewater treatment High Point (elevation above sea level) NASSAU COUNTY plants where it is cleaned Manhattan and returned safely to the Trout in the Classroom Release Site VISITOR CENTER AT NEWTOWN CREEK 15 FEET waterways surrounding Queens New York City. Water Treatment Facility Decorative compass rose with New Croton Aqueduct cross-section; Water is all around us. used on 1880s maps to celebrate the new water supply system. Brooklyn We experience it in many Silver Lake Reservoir Jamaica different ways using all of Bay our senses. As water cycles Staten through its endless journey, Island we appreciate that it will Bill de Blasio, Mayor New York Atlantic Ocean continue to nourish us Vincent Sapienza, P.E., Acting Commissioner Learn more at nyc.gov/dep MILES Harbor and all living things. 10 20