Lake Whitney (Connecticut)
Encyclopedia
Lake Whitney is a lake
in Hamden, Connecticut
that is a part of the Mill River. The lake was a water source for the New Haven, Connecticut
metro area, until it was discontinued in the early 1990s. Now with a new water treatment facility rated for up to 15 million gallons a day, Lake Whitney has been reconnected as a reserve water source for the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority
. This act has caused a lot of controversy in the area mainly because of residents' concerns about the water flow over the waterfall into the Mill River. Because of this, the regional water authority has agreed to extract only enough water to satisfy the need and change these levels depending upon the season. They also agreed to install a pump to ensure the flow of water over the dam at all times and are currently building a fish ladder
to allow fish to swim upriver.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant." Hamden is home to Quinnipiac University. The population was 58,180 according to the Census Bureau's 2005 estimates...
that is a part of the Mill River. The lake was a water source for the New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
metro area, until it was discontinued in the early 1990s. Now with a new water treatment facility rated for up to 15 million gallons a day, Lake Whitney has been reconnected as a reserve water source for the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority
South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority
The South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority is a public water supply utility in Connecticut, United States.The Authority supplies water in a 15-town region with a population of about 400,000. Historically it was the water supplier in the towns of Bethany, Branford, Cheshire, East Haven,...
. This act has caused a lot of controversy in the area mainly because of residents' concerns about the water flow over the waterfall into the Mill River. Because of this, the regional water authority has agreed to extract only enough water to satisfy the need and change these levels depending upon the season. They also agreed to install a pump to ensure the flow of water over the dam at all times and are currently building a fish ladder
Fish ladder
A fish ladder, also known as a fishway, fish pass or fish steps, is a structure on or around artificial barriers to facilitate diadromous fishes' natural migration. Most fishways enable fish to pass around the barriers by swimming and leaping up a series of relatively low steps into the waters on...
to allow fish to swim upriver.