The New Croton Dam, part of the New York City water supply system, stretches across the Croton River near Croton-on-Hudson, New York, about 22mi north of New York City. Construction began in 1892 and was completed in 1906. Designed by Alphonse Fteley, this masonry dam is 266ft broad at its base and 297ft high from base to crest. Its foundation extends 130ft below the bed of the river, and the dam contains 850000yd3 of masonry. The engineers' tablet mounted on the headhouse nearest the spillway lists the spillway length as 1000ft and the total length of the dam and spillway combined as 2188ft. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest dam in the world. New Croton Dam impounds up to 19e9USgal of water, a small fraction of the New York City water system's total storage capacity of 580e9USgal.The dam, in Westchester County, has an unusual spillway, part artificial and part natural, which forms a waterfall on the north side of the structure. New Croton Dam has a public park and trail head at its base and a road along its crest. Road use is limited to pedestrians and emergency vehicles.HistoryThe original Croton Dam was built between 1837 and 1842 to improve New York City's water supply. By 1881, after extensive repairs to the dam, which was 50ft high, Old Croton Reservoir was able to supply about 90e6USgal a day to the city via the Old Croton Aqueduct. To meet escalating water needs, the Aqueduct Commission of the City of New York ordered construction of a new Croton system in 1885. Hydro engineer James B. Francis was brought in as a consultant for the construction.
