The New Croton Dam, used to be the first main water supply system for New York City, USA, playing an important role in the development of the city.
Chilling with houses built between craggy cliffs
The New Croton Dam is located in Croton, New York, USA, crossing the Croton River and located 35 kilometers away from the north of New York City. The dam was built in the mid 1892 and 1906 to move water from the Croton River into the New Croton water tank to supply water to the New Yorkers.
The New Croton Dam can store about 19 billion gallons of water, which currently is a small fraction of the water storage system about 580 billion gallons of New York City.
The Old Croton dam was first built in 1842, able to meet about 90 million gallons of water per day to the city through the 66 kilometer long underground sewer system. By the late 19th century, the water demand for New York City increased, which was why the New Croton Dam was built.
To build the New Croton Dam, 52 square kilometer construction land of public and private buildings, 6 cemeteries and more than 400 farms had been removed. The new dam was built 6.4 kilometers down to the former dam’s downstream. The New Croton water tank then could provide 200 to 300 million gallons of water per day.
The New Croton Dam is one of the most impressive artificial structures in the Northeastern of United States. The dam spills like a majestic waterfall, a colorful wall and can see close up to the spectacular sight of the dam’s rushing waters.
The masonry structure of the construction is 81meters wide and 91 meters high from the ground. The dam’s foundation extends 40 meters under the river bed. The spillway section is 300 meters long. By the time the dam was completed, it was the highest dam in the world.
The dam with the impressive spillway, located above the wall, is partly natural and artificial. The water flowing down the natural part like a wild waterfall and down the artificial part, the water came down very heavily.
At the foundation of the dam, there is a public park about 400 square meters wide, trail and a road along its top. The park here is a famous place for fishing, picnicking and hiking. In winter, the park is a favorite destination for activities such as skiing.
Some spectacular images of the New Croton dam:
The picturesque radiant cities