Lake Gleneida

Infobox lake
lake_name = Lake Gleneida
image_lake = Gleneida Lake.jpg
caption_lake = From east shore, looking south
image_bathymetry =
caption_bathymetry=
location = Carmel Hamlet, New York
coords = coord|41|25|12|N|73|41|00|W|type:waterbody_region:US-NY|display=inline,title
type = artificial
inflow =
outflow =
catchment = convert|313.6|acre|ha|abbr=on
basin_countries = United States
length = convert|3500|ft|abbr=on
width = convert|2000|ft|abbr=on
area = convert|168|acre|ha|abbr=on
depth = convert|48|ft|abbr=on
max-depth = approx. convert|100|ft|abbr=on
volume = convert|8042|acre.ft|m3|abbr=on|lk=on
residence_time =
shore =
elevation = convert|505|ft|abbr=on
frozen =
reference = cite web|title=Lake Gleneida|url=http://findlakes.com/lake_gleneida_new-york~ny13949.htm|publisher=findlakes.com|accessdate=2008-08-04] cite web|authorlink=New York State Department of Environmental Conservation|title=Map/Diagram of Lake Gleneida|url=http://www.activityguidebook.com/details/showMap.jsp?markerId=2987&mapId=254|publisher=activityguidebook.com|accessdate=2008-08-04]

Lake Gleneida is a controlled lake in Carmel, New York, United States. It is part of New York City's water supply system, created when an original pond was dammed in 1870.cite news|last=Nackman|first=Barbara Livingston|title=Abundance of boats put damper on $2.3M plan to improve hamlet|url=http://www.carmelresident.org/hamlet/Abundance_of_boats_jn010513.html|publisher=carmelresident.org|work=The Journal News|date=2001-05-13|accessdate=2008-08-04|quote=The New York City Department of Environmental Protection is in charge of Lake Gleneida, created in 1870 when the city built a dam to create a controlled lake.]

Geography

The roughly heart-shaped lake is immediately to the southwest of downtown Carmel. Its convert|168|acre|ha are surrounded by grassy parkland sloping down to the lake from the roads on the south and east, and woods on the other sides. NY 301 follows the north shore, ascending to its eastern terminus at NY 52 across from the Putnam County courthouse. Route 52 follows the eastern shore for a short distance to the south of this intersection before it, too, ends at US 6, which continues around the southern shore. There is no road along the western side, although a local street, Glenvue Drive, traverses the top of the convert|545|ft|m|adj=on-high ridge there.

The lake fills a small depression in the middle of a hilly area. Its bottom continues its rapid drop from the shoreline, reaching a depth of slightly over ft to m|100 in the middle of the lake, equivalent to the surface of a swampy depression to its east. Mean depth is ft to m|48. It typically contains 8.042 acre-feet, or 2.6 billion gallons (9.9 million m³) of water.

There are no inlet brooks, as the lake was originally a pond. A small, unnamed outlet brook drains from the northwest, emptying in less than a thousand feet (300 m) to West Branch Reservoir. Water not impounded and delivered to the city from there follows the Croton River to the Hudson.

History

The lake was originally known as Shaw's Pond, after an early landowner. It had been a part of the Carmel landscape since the hamlet's designation as county seat upon Putnam's 1814 creation. It quickly became a popular spot for boating and fishing.

The name started appearing on maps around 1840. Not long after, residents became dissatisfied with the name and proposed grander names for it. In 1852, a committee of local residents finally settled on Lake Gleneida.cite news|title=DANIEL DREW'S OLD HOME; THE VILLAGE OF CARMEL AND ITS SURROUNDINGS|url=http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9C0DEFD8113BE533A2575AC0A9679D94619ED7CF|publisher=The New York Times Company|work=The New York Times|date=1890-11-08|accessdate=2008-08-04|quote=The lake, along which the village lies, was formerly called Shaw's Pond. It was a beautiful lake, and afforded excellent fishing and boating. But there was something wrong about it. Finally the citizens concluded that the trouble lay in the name. A meeting was called and a committee was chosen to select a name which would do justice to this beautiful sheet of water. The committee finally hit upon "Lake Gleneida" and this was at once applied to it.] Eighteen years later, in 1870, New York City bought the lake and dammed it, bringing it to its present size and volume.

Recreation

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) owns Lake Gleneida, considered one of three "controlled lakes" in the city's water system. That means it may withdraw water as a right of ownership. [http://w3.health.state.ny.us/dbspace/NYCRR10.nsf/56cf2e25d626f9f785256538006c3ed7/99ad5dc7c52157c48525683f0061da77?OpenDocument New York State Department of Health Regulations, Part 128-1.6(a)(20)] ] Unlike the reservoirs in the area, it is not fenced off or heavily patrolled.

Recreational use of the lake does come under DEP regulations. Fishing, ice fishing and boating are allowed with a valid DEP permit and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation-issued fishing license. Swimming is not permitted.

Boats used in the lake may not be used in any other body of water, to prevent the spread of zebra mussels. This raised some local concern in 2005, since many were left on shore during the offseason and the town found them unsightly as it prepared to spend $2.3 million to spruce up the hamlet. DEP was able to get most of the owners to relocate them to storage areas out of sight of downtown.

References