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33-527: Even after the Ashokan Reservoir was created as New York City's thirteenth reservoir and the Kensico Reservoir was completed soon after to store its water, the water supply was still insufficient for the city's high population. A search for a new location led to the village of Gilboa, New York , which was purchased and its residents evacuated through condemnation. Site preparation destroyed most of

66-401: A 255 square miles (660 km ) drainage basin , and is over 180 feet (55 m) deep at its deepest point, making it the city's deepest reservoir. 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

99-660: A brownish color, perhaps due to the intense drilling into the earth to anchor the dam. Schoharie County planned and authorized the Gilboa Dam Failure Outdoor Warning System, which was installed by Mid-State Communications. New York City paid for the system consisting of twenty sirens stretching from the Town of Gilboa to the Town of Esperance , ending at the Montgomery County line. A larger, full-scale overhaul of

132-408: A household in the town was $ 34,063, and the median income for a family was $ 42,056. Males had a median income of $ 30,203 versus $ 23,448 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 17,560. About 11.5% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over. The current Supervisor of the Town of Middleburgh

165-420: Is on the county's eastern border and is west of Albany . Settlement took place circa 1712 near Middleburgh village, but the early years were marred by several competing claims to the site, once called Weiser's Dorf, named after its founder, Johann Conrad Weiser, Sr. The American Revolution caused great hardship due to raids from British territory. The town was formed along with the county in 1797 from

198-426: Is required for such activities. For instance, to go boating or fishing, a public access permit is needed that was issued after 2002. Otherwise, it is no longer valid. 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

231-503: 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 m ) of water, has

264-801: 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 at 190 feet (58 m) near the dam at the former site of Bishop Falls. New York City turned to the Catskill Mountains 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

297-605: The Esopus Creek by Olivebridge. Some of this water comes from the Schoharie Reservoir via the 16 miles (26 kilometres) 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

330-624: 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. 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. A special license

363-612: The United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 49.3 square miles (127.6 km ), of which 49.2 square miles (127.4 km ) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km ) (0.16%) is water. The eastern town line is the border of Albany County . The Schoharie Creek flows through the central part of the town and is increased by the Little Schoharie Creek and Stony Creek by Middleburgh village. The most prominent geological feature near

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396-461: The Catskills. 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), 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. They were aided by local lawyers familiar with

429-472: The Gilboa Dam began in the summer of 2011 after five years of planning. Estimated to cost $ 350 million, the project will add significant mass to the dam, install floodgates, and include a large tunnel bypass allowing water to be released safely from the reservoir into Schoharie Creek. A citizens advocacy group, called Dam Concerned Citizens, Inc., was formed to monitor structural vulnerabilities in order to ensure

462-828: The Hudson River. Water from the Schoharie Reservoir flows to New York City through the 16-mile (26 km)-long Shandaken Tunnel , and empties into the Esopus Creek at Shandaken . Another 11 miles (18 km) down the Esopus it empties into the Ashokan Reservoir. From there water enters the 92-mile (147 km) Catskill Aqueduct to the Kensico Reservoir , thence to New York City. The 120-foot (37 m) high concrete and stone brick Gilboa Dam 42°23′30″N 74°26′59″W  /  42.39167°N 74.44972°W  / 42.39167; -74.44972 in Schoharie County

495-587: The West Basin of the reservoir contained 504 dwellings, nine blacksmith shops, 35 stores, 10 churches, 10 schools, seven sawmills and a gristmill. Several of these communities were re-established in nearby locations. Nearly twelve and a half miles (20.1 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

528-508: The area's trees and buildings up to the water line. The dam was built during the early 1920s out of stone bricks. Flooding was completed in 1924. The village of Gilboa was relocated to the west; traces of it can still be seen during a drought . The resulting reservoir, the northernmost of the New York City system, is located 36 miles (58 km) southwest of Albany and roughly 110 miles (180 km) northwest of New York City . It lies at

561-459: The dam from recent seismic activity. No motor boats are allowed on the reservoir; non-motorized boats that have been steam-cleaned and that have required tags may be used in the reservoir during the summer. Ashokan Reservoir The Ashokan Reservoir ( / ə ˈ ʃ oʊ k æ n / ; Iroquois for "place of fish") is a reservoir in Ulster County, New York . It is at the eastern end of

594-430: 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, including West Shokan , Olivebridge , Ashokan , and Shokan . Most, including Brown's Station , are remembered in historical markers along routes 28 and 28A . The resulting body of water is the oldest New York City–owned reservoir in

627-419: 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

660-483: 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

693-463: 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. Middleburgh (town), New York Middleburgh is a town in Schoharie County , New York , United States. The population was 3,112 at the 2000 census. The Town of Middleburgh contains a village called Middleburgh . The town

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726-560: 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 percent 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

759-446: The safety of those living downstream. On August 28, 2011, after receiving as much as 12 inches (300 mm) of rainfall from Hurricane Irene , the Gilboa Dam was placed in a level B situation. Though the dam was intact, the heavy upstream rainfall from the hurricane prompted officials to issue an evacuation order for downstream residents, including a mandatory evacuation of the towns of Middleburgh and Schoharie . The evacuation order

792-640: The smaller New York City reservoirs. Put into service in 1926, the Schoharie Reservoir provides nine million people with approximately 15-16 percent of their annual water supply needs. It is also the smaller of the two reservoirs which, along with the Ashokan Reservoir, in Olive, New York, make up the New York City Catskill Water System. Overflow from the Schoharie Reservoir tops the Gilboa Dam and runs back into Schoharie Creek, ultimately flowing into

825-661: The southern end of Schoharie County , the northeastern end of Delaware County , and at the northwestern end of Greene County . It neighbors such towns as Gilboa, Prattsville, and Conesville. It is an impounded portion of the Schoharie Creek, a tributary of the Mohawk River , itself a tributary of the Hudson River . The resulting reservoir consists of a single 6-mile (9.6-km) basin, and holds 17.6 billion US gallons (67,000,000 m) of water at full capacity, making it one of

858-503: The town is Vroman's Nose , which is actually in the adjoining town of Fulton and is a popular hiking destination. New York State Route 30 intersects New York State Route 145 at Middleburgh village. As of the census of 2000, there were 3,515 people, 1,383 households, and 945 families residing in the town. The population density was 71.4 inhabitants per square mile (27.6/km ). There were 1,676 housing units at an average density of 34.1 per square mile (13.2/km ). The racial makeup of

891-596: The town of Schoharie and is one of the original towns of Schoharie County. It was called "Middletown" until 1801. In 1881, the community of Middleburgh set itself off from the town by incorporating as a village. In 1941 artist Mary Earley painted the oil and tempera mural Dance of the Hop Pickers in the Middleburgh post office . She had been commissioned by the Treasury's Section of Painting and Sculpture . According to

924-553: The town was 97.75% White , 0.37% Black or African American , 0.40% Native American , 0.14% Asian , 0.63% from other races , and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population. There were 1,383 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who

957-568: The troubled 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 . Thousands of acres of farmland were submerged. The impoundment covered 12 communities located in a valley where farming, logging, and quarrying prevailed. Approximately 2,000 residents along with roads, homes, shops, farms, churches, and mills were either moved or abandoned, but most of them were torn down. The area that became

990-452: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.02. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males. The median income for

1023-463: Was also believed by engineers of the time that broad-leaved deciduous trees polluted the water with nutrients more so than conifers. After the September 11 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

Schoharie Reservoir - Misplaced Pages Continue

1056-575: Was completed in 1926. Over time the dam eroded to where it posed a potential threat to those living downstream. In December 2005, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection began a $ 24 million project to bring the dam up to New York State safety standards. Beginning in December 2006 eighty post-tensioned anchoring cables were installed through holes drilled in the dam into bedrock below, bringing it up to state standards. During this overhaul, residents nearby complained that their tap water had turned

1089-477: Was due to the heavy rainfall and not due to a dam failure. After a minor earthquake on August 27, 2011 was recorded in the region and in response to the 2011 Virginia earthquake which occurred on August 23, 2011 and was felt as far north as Canada , New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered an infrastructure inspection which included the Gilboa Dam. Governor Cuomo visited the dam on the morning of August 28, 2011 to report that officials had discovered no impacts to

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