Croton Watershed
The Croton Watershed is the New York City water supply system's name for its southernmost watershed and its infrastructure, an organized entity rather than a mere hydrological feature. Spanning large swaths of Putnam and Westchester counties in far southeastern New York State, it represents the drainage, flow, and operating systems of some seven rivers, one dozen reservoirs, and three controlled lakes falling within the Croton River watershed. Over in area, the Watershed holds some of fresh water. The vast majority of this ends up at the Jerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx via the New Croton Aqueduct, from which it is distributed. Water in excess of New York City's needs spills over the New Croton Dam at the New Croton Reservoir and is carried by the Croton River into the Hudson River at Croton-on-Hudson, New York, about 30 miles north of the Metropolitan area. Definition The Croton Watershed is a term describing a part of the New York City water supply system. It is not synonymous with the biological feature Croton River watershed. Numerous small natural lakes and ponds, as well as large Lake Mahopac, are within the river's watershed but not part of the NYC water supply system (even