Great Sacandaga Lake

Great Sacandaga Lake
A view of the Great Sacandaga Lake from a nearby overlook
Great Sacandaga Lake is located in New York Adirondack Park
Great Sacandaga Lake
Great Sacandaga Lake
Location within New York
Great Sacandaga Lake is located in the United States
Great Sacandaga Lake
Great Sacandaga Lake
Great Sacandaga Lake (the United States)
LocationAdirondack Park, Fulton / Saratoga / Hamilton counties, New York, U.S.
Coordinates43°08′30″N 74°10′39″W / 43.1417068°N 74.1776256°W / 43.1417068; -74.1776256, 43°16′33″N 74°02′31″W / 43.2757119°N 74.0420061°W / 43.2757119; -74.0420061[1]
TypeReservoir, man-made
construction: earth and concrete
date: March 1930
Primary inflowsSacandaga River
Primary outflowsSacandaga River
Catchment area1,044 sq mi (2,700 km2)
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length29 mi (47 km)
Max. width5 mi (8.0 km) at its widest point
Surface area20,650 acres (32.27 sq mi)[1]
Average depth32 feet (9.8 m)
Max. depth70 feet (21 m)
Water volume29.920 billion cubic feet (847.2 hm3)
low: 7.800 billion cubic feet (220.9 hm3)
Shore length166 miles (106 km)
Surface elevation771.0 ft (235.0 m)
low: 740.0 ft (225.6 m)[2]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

The Great Sacandaga Lake (formerly the Sacandaga Reservoir) is a large lake situated in the Adirondack Park in northern New York in the United States. The lake has a surface area of about 41.7 square miles (108 km2) at capacity, and the length is about 29 miles (47 km). The word Sacandaga means "Land of the Waving Grass" in the native Mohawk language. The lake is located in the northern parts of Fulton County and Saratoga County near the southern border of the Adirondack Park. A small portion also extends northward into southern Hamilton County. The broader, south end of the lake is northeast of the City of Johnstown and the City of Gloversville. Great Sacandaga Lake is a reservoir created by damming the Sacandaga River. The primary purpose for the creation of the reservoir was to control flooding on the Hudson River and the Sacandaga River, floods which had a historically significant impact on the surrounding communities.

  1. ^ a b "Great Sacandaga Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  2. ^ waterdata.usgs.gov: Greater Sacandaga Lake Data