Every Lake
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
Named for a First Lady who ran its loop nearly every morning for a decade.
- 8 ft · first step
- 16 ft
- 24 ft
- 31 ft
- 39 ft
- 47 ft · bottom
About Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
The reservoir sits inside Central Park in Manhattan, built in 1862 as part of the Croton Aqueduct system that supplied drinking water to New York City. It held water for more than a century before the city took it offline in 1993, shifting supply to underground mains. In 1994 officials renamed it for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who lived nearby on Fifth Avenue and ran the loop around it most mornings during her years in the city. The dirt track circling the water became one of the most recognized running routes in the country.
The water covers roughly 69 acres in the middle of the park, bordered by a running path used by joggers ranging from elite athletes training for marathons to weekend visitors. Its depth reaches about 47 feet, though the basin is closed to boats and swimmers and now functions mainly as open water and habitat. Herons, cormorants, and migratory waterfowl stop here during spring and fall migration, drawing birdwatchers to the surrounding paths. No longer part of the water supply, it remains bordered by Fifth Avenue and Central Park West, framed by the skyline on all sides.
- 21 roads engraved around the shore, 5 of them labeled
- 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.
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Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir depth chart, in wood
This is a Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 8 ft, 16 ft, 24 ft, 31 ft, 39 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 47 ft. The lake covers about 0.1 square miles, and 21 shore roads are engraved around it. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis 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 Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis 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 Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis 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 Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis 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 47 ft
- 0.1 square miles of water
- 21 shore roads engraved, 5 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
