Hinckley Reservoir

Hinckley Lake is located by Hinckley, New York. The reservoir serves water to 130,000 people in the greater Utica, New York area, is a source of hydropower, and supports recreation during all seasons. The lake is located in the towns of Russia in Herkimer County, and Remsen in Oneida County.Gregory B. Jarvis Plant is named in honor of the 41-year-old payload specialist from the Mohawk Valley who was killed aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986. This 9,000-kW facility began operation in June of that year. The plant is located about 20 miles from Mohawk Central High School, where Jarvis graduated in 1963.GeographyThe topography of its watershed of 372 square miles is rugged and varies in altitude from about 1,165 to 3,100 feet above sea-level. The drainage basin of this creek, like that of the upper Mohawk, is located in the region which has the maximum precipitation of the state, a precipitation which is exceptionally high during the winter months, in the form of snow.No constricted gorge, where a short dam might be built, was available on the site of this reservoir. The dam has a total length of 3,700 feet, of which there is a 400-foot masonry section, embodying gate chambers and spillway. The major, or earthen, portion of the dam has a concrete core wall running through most of its length. The masonry content of the dam is 110,020 cubic yards, while there are 611,200 cubic yards of embankment in the earthen section. The masonry has a maximum height of 82 feet above rock and the overfall at the spillway is 61 feet. The maximum height of the earthen dam is 56 feet above the natural surface.