550 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



would work great injury to the navigation interests. While this* 

 act was under consideration by the legislature, the Senate requested 

 the State Engineer and Surveyor to furnish whatever information 

 he might possess as to sources of water supply which could be 

 made available for the Jordan level, together with his opinion 

 as to the mode by which such water supply could be stored, and 

 the probable cost of the work for such purpose. Pursuant to this 

 resolution, the State Engineer and Surveyor reported, under date 

 of March 12, 1889. 1 In this report the State Engineer stated that 

 it did not seem practicable to make provision at Skaneateles 

 lake for a greater amount of storage than that given by the ex- 

 isting dam, nor did there seem to be any point for additional 

 storage reservoirs between the lake and Erie canal on the line of 

 the Skaneateles creek. It was, however, pointed out that about 

 two miles east of Jordan. Carpenter's brook enters Erie canal. 

 On the line of this brook, about a mile southerly from the canal, 

 the topography is such as to afford a location for a large reservoir 

 and dam 55 feet in hight. At this place there could be created 

 a reservoir flowing 650 acres and impounding 807,000,000 cubic 

 feet of water. The catchment area of Carpenter's brook above the 

 proposed dam is stated at 14.5 square miles, which, according to 

 the estimate of the State Engineer and Surveyor, may furnish 

 429,500,000 cubic feet yearly. Carpenter's brook, however, now 

 supplies to the Erie canal during the navigation season about 200 

 cubic feet per minute which, for the whole season, may be taken 

 at 70.500,000 cubic feet. Therefore there would remain available 

 for storage in the reservoir, beyond present demands, the annual 

 quantity of 359,000,000 cubic feet. 



It will be noticed that the stated capacity of Carpenter's brook 

 reservoir of 807,000,000 cubic feet is in excess of the yield of the 

 catchment area of 429.500.000 cubic feet. This excess capacity 

 of the reservoir the State Engineer proposed to utilize by divert 

 ing water, either through a feeder, or by pipe lines leading to the 

 Skaneateles outlet, whereby it would be made possible to direct, 

 when necessary, the flood-flows of Skaneateles outlet into the Car* 

 penter's brook reservoir. 



3 Senate document No. 54 (1880). 



