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Hinckley Reservoir
Hinckley Reservoir Water Level Data

HINCKLEY RESERVOIR

The Working Group

The New York State Canal Corporation's Hinckley Reservoir Water Levels Data page provides current information to the public and improves communication among the core agencies involved with the day to day operation of the Hinckley Reservoir and among responding agencies as reservoir conditions warrant.

It is part of Governor David A. Paterson’s implementation of a communications strategy recommended in the April 30, 2008 Hinckley Reservoir Working Group report, to provide early warning of possible drought conditions in order to ensure adequate water levels for the citizens of Utica and Oneida and Herkimer Counties.

View the Governor's press release located on ny.gov's website - http://www.ny.gov/governor/press/press_0605081.html. 

The Working Group includes representatives of Herkimer and Oneida Counties; the Mohawk Valley Water Authority; the New York Power Authority; State Department of Environmental Conservation; the State Emergency Management Office; the State Health Department the State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation; and the New York State Thruway Authority/Canal Corporation.

About the Hinckley Reservoir

Hinckley Reservoir DamThe Hinckley Reservoir is located in Herkimer and Oneida Counties approximately 14 miles north of Utica. The Hinckley Reservoir was constructed in the valley formed by West Canada Creek, which flows south out of the Adirondack Mountains and through the reservoir on its route to the Mohawk River at Herkimer. The surface area of Hinckley Reservoir is approximately 4.5 square miles when full and is fed by a drainage area of approximately 372 square miles.  View the Hinckley Reservoir Watershed. (PDF, 1 page/179 Kb).

Hinckley Reservoir has an average water depth of about 28 feet and a maximum depth of approximately 75 feet from the spillway crest.  When full to the spillway crest, the reservoir has a usable capacity of approximately 25.8 billion gallons.

Hinckley Reservoir was constructed by the State of New York and completed in 1915 for the purpose of supplying water to the Erie Canal.  Hinckley Reservoir is owned by the State of New York, presently under the jurisdiction of the New York State Canal Corporation.

Since 2003, the Hinckley Reservoir also serves as the sole source of drinking water for about 130,000 people in the greater Utica area.

Water Management

Shortly after Hinckley Reservoir was constructed, agreements were reached with the public water supply company in 1917 and the hydropower companies in 1921 to accommodate their interests and manage the resource to the maximum advantage of all parties. The 1917 agreement (PDF, 46 pages/9.93 Mb) governs the arrangements for public water supply.  In December 1920, the State developed an Operating Diagram (shown below) that established the release of water from Hinckley Reservoir based upon varying reservoir levels throughout the year.  The 1921 Hydropower agreement (PDF, 13 pages/946 Kb) requires compliance with the 1920 Operating Diagram.

Hinckley Reservoir Operating Diagram - Dec. 14, 1920 View a Larger Version of This Image

The 1920 Operating Diagram establishes the rates (in cubic feet per second) at which water is to be discharged from Hinckley Reservoir during each third of the month period based upon the observed reservoir elevation at the beginning of each such period. The Operating Diagram allows reservoir levels to vary about 51 feet between a full reservoir level of 1225 feet to a low level of 1173.5 feet. The prescribed downstream discharge reduces as the reservoir levels fall in order to maintain sufficient water in Hinckley Reservoir to maintain canal navigation. The Operating Diagram also provides for increased reservoir releases during the winter so that reservoir capacity can be available to help mitigate spring flood conditions.

The flows associated with the 1921 Agreement form the basis for the Federal Energy Regulating Commission (FERC) licenses for the Erie Boulevard Hydropower, LP facilities at Prospect and Trenton Falls. Under these agreements and licenses, a deviation from the Operating Diagram is permitted only under certain extreme conditions.