Cazenovia Lake

Cazenovia Lake
Cazenovia Lake Show map of New York Cazenovia Lake Show map of the United States
Location	Madison County, New York, United States
Coordinates	42°56′47.839″N 75°52′12.44″W
Primary inflows	Swamplands to the north and underwater springs
Primary outflows	Chittenango Creek
Max. length	3.9 mi (6.3 km)[1]
Max. width	0.5 mi (0.80 km)
Surface area	1.8 sq mi (4.7 km^2)
Max. depth	45 ft (14 m)[1]
Surface elevation	1,191 ft (363 m)[2]
Settlements	Cazenovia

Cazenovia Lake (/ˌkæzɪˈnoʊviə/) is located in Madison County, New York. It is located 20 miles (32 km) southeast of the city of Syracuse. The village of Cazenovia is located southeast of the lake.

History

NYS Historic Marker at Cazenovia Lake

The lake resides in a valley created by sub-glacial runoff during the recession of North American continental glaciers at the end of the last glacial period.

Prior to European settlement of the area, Cazenovia Lake was known to the Oneida as Owagehaga or Owahgenah, and to the Onondaga as Hohwahgeneh, all of which mean "lake of the yellow perch". It was also previously known as "Canaseraga Lake".^[3][4]

Description

Map showing Cazenovia Lake in the upper right and the Finger Lakes in relation to Lake Ontario and upstate New York

Cazenovia Lake is roughly 3.9 miles (6.3 km) long^[1] and one-half mile (0.80 km) wide. It is 45 feet (14 m) at its deepest point.^[1] The lake's elevation is at 1,191 feet (363 m) above sea level.^[2] It is drained from its southeast corner by a canal^[5] to Chittenango Creek, which then flows north over Chittenango Falls and eventually into Oneida Lake's south shore in Bridgeport.

The lake contains largemouth and smallmouth bass, rock bass, chain pickerel, pumpkinseed, black crappie, bluegill, walleye, yellow perch, white sucker, and brown bullhead.^[1] The north end of the lake is swampy, making navigation with a motorboat difficult. The lake has been impacted by several invasive species, including Eurasian milfoil and zebra mussels.

Boating access for trailered boats is allowed by permit at Lakeside Park in the village of Cazenovia.^[6] An unofficial launch for canoes and kayaks is available at the undeveloped Helen L. McNitt State Park on the northeastern shore of the lake. Plans to improve the launch were announced in 2015.^[7]

References

1. "Cazenovia Lake". NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
2. "Cazenovia Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
3. Beauchamp, William Martin (1907). Aboriginal Place Names of New York (New York State Museum Bulletin, Volume 108). New York State Education Department. pp. 148–149. ISBN 9781404751552. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
4. Hammond Whitney, Luna M. (1872). History of Madison County, State of New York. Truair, Smith. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-598-52843-8.
5. "Cazenovia Lake canal, emptied by state, has water again – Eagle News Online".
6. "Parks and Recreation". Village of Cazenovia, NY. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
7. "DEC gives $1.6 million to central New York parks, projects". Rome Sentinel. October 4, 2015. Archived from the original on October 7, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2016.