are collected at the
New Croton Reservoir. Flow in excess of New York City's needs goes over a spillway at the
New Croton Dam there and discharges into the
Hudson River The Croton Watershed is a term describing a part of the
New York City water supply system (map here). It is not synonymous with the biological feature
Croton River watershed. Numerous small natural lakes and ponds, as well as large
Lake Mahopac, are within the river's watershed but not a direct part of the NYC water supply system. They are not owned or maintained by the New York City watershed system, but ultimately drain into it. Further, the drainage basins of the
Boyds Corner and the
West Branch reservoirs fall within the Croton River watershed but do not end up delivered to New York City in the waters of the Croton Watershed. Though the waters of those basins are collected within their respective reservoirs, Boyds Corners drains into West Branch, which then receives the entire flow of the NYC system's
Delaware Aqueduct. After mixing and settling, the combined waters of these watersheds on both sides of the
Hudson River continue on via the balance of the Delaware Aqueduct to the
Kensico Reservoir; there they are joined by those of the
Catskill Aqueduct, settle, then continue on to the
Hillview Reservoir in
Yonkers for distribution in New York City. Only
overflow from West Branch Reservoir's spillway, composed predominantly of Delaware Aqueduct waters, continues on a downstream section of the
West Branch Croton River, thence into the tandem of the
Croton Falls Reservoir-
Diverting Reservoir, and downstream from them ultimately into the
New Croton Reservoir and the
New Croton Aqueduct into New York City. ==Watershed==