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1907 Report

The report indicates that the proposed Kensico Reservoir will hold about 40 billon gallons with a water level 110 feet above the level of the existing Lake Kensico, which was a small reservoir supplying the Williams Bridge section of the Bronx. A 48-inch pipeline carried the water from Lake Kensico to the Bronx, and it was considered critical that this flow not be disrupted. The plan in 1907 was to build the new dam just downstream of the current dam so the existing reservoir could remain during construction, although a location above / behind the current dam was also studied. The proposed dam was to be one of the largest of its class with a height of 250 feet and a length of 2300 feet along the top. It was described as similar to the ‘New’ Croton Dam, but not as tall and having a stone masonry face on the downstream side.

Aside from the main dam, plans, studies, and preparations were made for the Kensico Dike on the west side of the reservoir. Road relocations were also planned, both to replace the roads that would be flooded and to provide roads to support the dam construction. While by 1907 all land required for construction of the dam had been acquired, planning for further land acquisition continued. Planning also continued for the by-pass aqueduct that would allow New York City to still draw water from the Catskill Aqueduct without drawing from the new Kensico Reservoir. At this time they also decided that the appropriate location for the aeration plant was near the Kensico Dike.

The full 1907 report can be found on line at Google Books.

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