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In this video, we explore the ghost towns that are beneath New York's water reservoirs.
We'll take you on a tour down to the bottom of the Croton Dam in Westchester County and onto the top of the old McConaughy Dam in Lackawanna County.

Compared to other cities in the United States, New York City is often said to have the best drinking water in the country in terms of its cleanliness, pH level and even its taste. But this high quality of water is not easy to come by, and New Yorkers only have this luxury due to a complex and intricate water supply system that pulls in water from the surrounding upstate areas. Run by the New York City Board of Water Supply, the entire system involves three massive aqueducts, three main tunnels, three controlled lakes, over 20 reservoirs and various other structures such as smaller aqueducts, waterways and treatment plants. Overall, it is an obvious marvel of engineering achievement, but unbeknownst to most, the six major reservoirs that were created in the 20th century came at a heavy price. The land which was required to build these reservoirs was already inhabited but numerous albeit, sparsely populated, farm towns in the upstate area. But the need for water in New York City seemed to outweigh the opinions of a few small farming communities and so these towns were relocated. Now, the land is completely underwater at the bottom of each of these reservoirs. But what remains of these flooded towns and how exactly did this area go from being small rural towns into a vast body of water?

Chapters:
0:00 – Where Does New York City’s Water Come From?
2:49 – The Early History of New York City’s Water System and its Consequences
7:38 – The Ashokan Reservoir – The First New York Reservoir
11:16 – The Schoharie Reservoir – The New York Reservoir that Erased the Small Town of Gilboa
13:01 – The Rondout Reservoir – The First New York Reservoir to Connect to the Delaware River
15:07 – The Neversink Reservoir – The Reservoir That Was Named After the Town That Did Sink
16:45 – The Pepacton Reservoir – The Largest New York Reservoir That Provides 25% of the City’s Water
19:24 – The Cannonsville Reservoir – The New York Reservoir Which Sits Upon Five Former Towns
20:45 – Conclusion – The Positive and Negative Effects of New York’s Reservoirs

» CONTACT
KultAmerica@mediakraft.tv
https://www.facebook.com/kultamerica

» CREDIT
Scriptwriter - Brandon Evans,
Editor - Karolina Szwata,
Host - Ryan Socash

» SOURCES
“Croton Water Supply System.” ASCE Metropolitan Section. Accessed April 21, 2022. https://www.ascemetsection.org/committees/history-and-heritage/landmarks/croton-water-supply.
Harrington, Rebecca, and Natalie Colarossi. “Vintage Photos Show How One of the World's Greatest Engineering Feats Was Created in 1915 to Bring Water to New York City.” Insider. Insider, March 17, 2020. https://www.insider.com/how-nyc-gets-its-water-historic-photos-show-catskill-aqueduct.
“History of the NYC Water Supply: Catskill Watershed Corporation.” Catskill Watershed Corporation | Protecting water quality and preserving communities in the Catskill-Delaware New York City Watershed., September 27, 2019. https://cwconline.org/history-of-the-nyc-water-supply/.
Jacobson, Roni. “New York City Tap Water Isn't Nearly as Great as We Think It Is.” Thrillist, January 10, 2017. https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/new-york/nyc-tap-water-myth-city-rankings-quality-test.
Krugman, Mary Delaney. “A Culture Lost Beneath the Waters: The Downsville Dam/Pepacton Reservoir.” A Culture Lost Beneath the Waters: The Downsville Dam/Pepacton Reservoir, August 24, 2010. http://ribbonsandlines.blogspot.com/2010/08/culture-lost-beneath-waters-downsville.html.
“A Look Back at the Making of the Ashokan Reservoir.” Hudson Valley Magazine, January 4, 2022. https://hvmag.com/life-style/history/the-ashokan-reservoir/.
Luther, Roger. “Treasures of the Tier.” nyslandmarks.com. Accessed April 21, 2022. http://nyslandmarks.com/treasures/13jul.htm.
Madrigal, Irene, Michelle Young, Untapped New York, Gabriel Neves, and Nicole Saraniero. “Lots of NYC's Drinking Water Comes from Drowned Towns in the Catskills.” Untapped New York, March 12, 2021. https://untappedcities.com/2015/06/22/some-of-nycs-drinking-water-comes-from-drowned-towns-in-the-catskills/.
Monroe, Lea. “Most People Have No Idea This Sunken Town in New York Even Exists.” OnlyInYourState, October 14, 2016. https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/new-york/sunken-town-ny/.
Monroe, Lea. “New York Has a Lost Town Most People Don't Know About.” OnlyInYourState, November 7, 2018. https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/new-york/lost-town-ny/.

» NOTICE
Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only - always reflecting the accurate time frame and content. Events of factual error / mispronounced word/spelling mistakes - retractions will be published in this section.

The Church steeple depicted in the thumbnail is for illustrative purposes only.

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