DeRuyter Reservoir
| DeRuyter Reservoir | |
|---|---|
The Reservoir from the end of the dam. | |
DeRuyter Reservoir DeRuyter Reservoir | |
| Location | Madison County, Onondaga County, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 42°48′53″N 75°53′27″W / 42.81472°N 75.89083°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Mill Brook |
| Primary outflows | Limestone Creek |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 576 acres (2.33 km2) |
| Average depth | 15 feet (4.6 m) |
| Max. depth | 53 ft (16 m) |
| Shore length1 | 5.8 miles (9.3 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,280 ft (390 m) |
| Islands | 2 |
| Settlements | Puckerville, New York |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
DeRuyter Reservoir (also known as Tioughnioga Lake) is a man-made lake located north of DeRuyter, New York. There is access by fee on the south shore at the general store. The reservoir was constructed from 1861 to 1863 to supply water for the Erie Canal.
Throughout the 20th century, as New York stopped using the reservoir for the canal, DeRuyter became a popular site for recreation and cottages were built around the reservoir. In the 1960s, a dispute began between the state, which technically owned the shoreline, and owners of homes on the lake, many of whom did not have legal title to portions of the land that they occupied. The issue was not resolved until 1981, when legislation was passed by which the state could sell the land to its occupants.
Today, DeRuyter Reservoir is used for recreational activities including boating and fishing,