Delta Lake and Delta Lake State Park

Whenever we drive on Route 46 going to the airport in Rome, we pass by Delta Lake and have always wanted to see it closeup.  We were always in a hurry though and did not want to pay the entrance fee to the park for only a quick visit.

On June 3, with our lunch basket, we headed for Delta Lake State Park  which is on a peninsula extending from the south shore of the lake. To our pleasant surprise, the usual $7 entrance fee per car was waved for us that day.  For what reason, we did not know.

Delta Lake is a reservoir just north of the city of Rome, about 18 miles southwest of our camp on Kayuta Lake. When the marvel that was the Erie Canal (completed 1825) started to lose traffic to the competing railroad, the State decided to enlarge the canal by the construction of the new "Barge Canal", consisting of the Erie Canal and the three chief branches of the State system -- the Champlain, the Oswego, and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals. It was felt necessary to create three reservoirs to ensure consistent water level in the canal since frequent fluctuations which used to occur in the Erie would be dangerous for the bigger barges.  Delta was ideal because the deep valley could impound the waters of the Mohawk with only one dam being constructed.  Of the three proposed reservoirs, Delta was the only place that required acquisition of privately owned land and forced relocation of its 500 residents.  Most of the structures were torn down and only some moved to other locations before the town was flooded. Construction took 4 years to finish the dam (1908-1912) and another 4 years to fill up the reservoir. The Barge Canal had it's peak commercial use in 1951 but competition from the trucking industry eventually lead to it's closure in the 1990's.  The canals have since then resumed their original names and are now strictly restricted for recreational use.

Delta Lake covering 2560 acres now still supplies water to the Erie Canal and as well as controls flooding in the Mohawk region . Most of the lake is within the southwest part of the town of Western while the western part of the lake is in the town of  Lee.

The dam is on the southeast corner of the lake and can be seen on Golf Course Road, off Rt. 46.
 

 At the park, we headed for the beach and had our lunch on one of the many park tables. There's even a barbecue stand if we had opted to use one.  It was 52degree C with a brisk wind so we did not venture into the water.  

 A sign at the beach house is a reminder of the old town of Delta.  It is rumored that when the water at the reservoir is low, a few foundations that were left behind can be seen.




Park development had started in 1966 and now, it is a popular facility for summer and winter recreation. In addition to the sand beach and the lake, where people can go swimming, camping, fishing and boating,  the park has several picnic areas, 101 campsites, 19 of which are waterfront, a boat launch and some hiking trails.  In the winter, there is cross-county skiing, ice fishing, snow shoeing and snowbiling and even has a snowmobile warming room.

We went on the trail starting from the beach.  Because of the high water level though, most of the trail was under water so after only a short distance, we had to double back to the beach.  From the map, the other hiking trails did not look any more inviting.  The park appears to be best suited for those mainly interested in water activities.




References:
1. Your Hometown: The Lost Village of Delta Lake
2. History photos of the town of Delta : A Pretty Street, Delta NY
3. The Village of Delta: Social History and Eminent Domain
4. Delta Lake State Park
5. The Barge Canal