Preparations Being Made for Massive Ashokan Reservoir Construction Project

$750 million plan expected to last into the 2030s. 

The Ashokan Reservoir is a reservoir in the New York City water supply system in Ulster County, New York. It receives the waters of Schoharie Reservoir, and together they provide the flow of the Catskill Aqueduct, which mixes with water from the Delaware Aqueduct at the Kensico Reservoir in Westchester County, New York, and after settling continues into the Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers for distribution in New York City.

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Ashokan Reservoir lies is at the eastern end of the Catskill Park, and at 190 feet near the dam at the former site of Bishop Falls is the New York City system's deepest reservoir.

The Ashokan Century Program is a 10-year, $750 million project by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to upgrade crucial infrastructure at the Ashokan Reservoir, ensuring a century more of clean drinking water for New York City. The program includes structural upgrades to the Olive Bridge Dam, dikes, chambers, and the Dividing Weir Bridge, along with reconstruction of the spillway and rehabilitation of the headworks. The project, the largest public works effort in the Catskills in over 50 years, began with preliminary soil and bedrock investigations in 2020 and is expected to last into the 2030s. 

NYC Watershed posted on social media about progress underway at the Ashokan Reservoir with cranes on site in preparation for upcoming construction work. The cranes were spotted this week dropping barges into the west basin and clearing debris.

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Big moves happening at #AshokanReservoir!

Cranes are hard at work dropping giant Lego-like barges into the west basin. One’s clearing debris from the dividing weir, the other’s boring into the reservoir floor for the upcoming capital construction work!