Tarrytown Reservoir
Reservoir in Tarrytown, New York
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tarrytown Reservoir is an 81-acre (0.33 km2) decommissioned storage reservoir in Tarrytown, New York. It is now part of the Tarrytown Lakes Park.
| Tarrytown Reservoir | |
|---|---|
 Tarrytown Reservoir in 2011 | |
  Tarrytown Reservoir Location within New York | |
| Location | Tarrytown, New York |
| Coordinates | 41°4′58″N 73°50′28″W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| 1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2) | |
| Basin countries | United States |
Surface area | 81 acres (0.33 km2) |
Surface elevation | 253 ft (77 m)[1] |
The reservoir was completed in 1897 by the village of Tarrytown as the village's main storage reservoir. Railroad magnate Jay Gould, owner of Lyndhurst estate in Tarrytown, contributed $100,000 (approximately $3,900,000 in today's value as of 2025) for the project.[2] The reservoir was formed by the Tarrytown Waterworks Dam, which impounded Storm Brook,[3] a tributary of the Saw Mill River. The reservoir itself, consisting of the Upper Lake and the Lower Lake, had a maximum capacity of 200 million gallons of water,[2] or 1,100 acre-feet (1,400,000 m3).
The Tarrytown Waterworks Dam is earthen, 18 feet (5.5 m) high, 315 feet (96 m) long, and sits at the head of a drainage area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2).[4] When the reservoir was operational, two well houses stood on small islands near the edge of the larger Lower Lake; one of them is still there today.[2] The Eastview Pumping Station still stands on the easternmost point of the reservoir; it houses filters and pumps that were used until 1993.[5]
The reservoir was decommissioned in 1993 because it could no longer supply enough drinking water for the village's growing population,[5] and Tarrytown began sourcing its water from the larger New York City water supply system.[6] The two lakes, together with the 60 acres surrounding them,[5] comprise the Tarrytown Lakes Park, a scenic recreation area for walking and biking. Kayaking (with kayak rentals in season) and fishing are by village permit.[5] The walking trails connect to both the North County Trailway and the South County Trailway, parts of the Empire State Trail.[7]
Gallery
The Lower Lake
The Upper Lake
A path in the Tarrytown Lakes Park
Tarrytown Reservoir panorama
