Every Lake
East Branch Reservoir
Sodom Dam closed the Croton River's East Branch in 1891, 35 miles north of New York City.
- 7 ft · first step
- 15 ft
- 22 ft
- 30 ft
- 37 ft
- 45 ft · bottom
About East Branch Reservoir
Workers diverted the East Branch of the Croton River in 1888 and closed Sodom Dam by 1891, forming the reservoir in the town of Southeast, Putnam County, New York, near the village of Brewster. The project was part of New York City's original Croton water supply system, planned by the city's Aqueduct Commission starting in 1883. A tunnel roughly 1,700 feet long connects the reservoir to the adjoining Bog Brook Reservoir, and from there the water moves south through the Croton Falls Reservoir toward the aqueducts that still carry it to the city.
The reservoir sits inside New York City's Croton watershed, a chain of a dozen reservoirs east of the Hudson River that has supplied the city since the nineteenth century. Brewster and the surrounding town of Southeast grew up along its edges, and Route 22 and the Metro-North Harlem Line both pass within a few miles of the shoreline. Like other reservoirs in the system, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection controls access; shoreline fishing requires a DEP permit and boats are restricted. The reservoir follows the old river valley, giving it a long, narrow shape rather than a rounded basin.
- 6 depth layers, each step engraved with its depth in feet
- Compass rose, title block with coordinates, max depth and area; keyhole hanger on the back
Turn it in your hands
Live 3D of the actual cut files — drag to orbit, pinch to zoom. Every road you see is engraved on the real thing.
Viewer not showing? Open it full screen.
East Branch Reservoir depth chart, in wood
This is a East Branch Reservoir depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 7 ft, 15 ft, 22 ft, 30 ft, 37 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 45 ft. The lake covers about 0.8 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A East Branch Reservoir map for the wall — or a gift
Most of these go to a cabin wall, a lake house entry, or a home office; a lot are gifts — the family that has been on East Branch Reservoir for three generations, the retirement move, the first boat. The 12-inch is the desk-and-shelf size; the 24- and 30-inch boards read across a room. Add a line under the title and star your place on the shore, and it becomes the map of your East Branch Reservoir.
East Branch Reservoir map — the details
How big is the map?
Four sizes: 12, 17, 24 and 30 inches on the long side, from $149. Every size is cut from the same depth data of East Branch Reservoir; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. East Branch Reservoir is cut layer by layer from published bathymetric soundings — each layer of birch is a depth contour, so the shape of the bottom is the real one, not decorative.
Can I add my own place on it?
Yes. At checkout you can add a line under the title (a family name, a cabin name, a year) and star the spot on the shore that matters to you.
How long does it take?
Made to order in Waterford, Pennsylvania and shipped in 7–10 days; shipping is free in the lower 48.
Can you make a lake that isn't listed?
Any lake in the United States — we hold depth data for 104,419 of them. Search for yours; if it isn't built yet we build it when you order.
- 6 depth layers down to 45 ft
- 0.8 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
