Between 1878 and 1911, several tributaries of the Croton River were dammed to create the Middle Branch, Bog Brook, Diverting, East Branch, and Croton Falls Reservoirs—together covering more than 1,400 acres of Southeast’s landscape.
In 1888, the East Branch of the Croton River was diverted for construction of the East Branch Reservoir and Sodom Dam, remarkable examples of late 19th-century engineering. The work, supervised by hydraulic engineers and using cutting-edge technology, was featured in the Scientific American of August 17, 1889. Crews built stone retaining walls, culverts, bridges, and riprap to prevent erosion, while a steel cable system transported massive stones over the construction span. Over five years, workers completed an impoundment holding 5.2 billion gallons of water and a 1,773-foot tunnel linking it to the Bog Brook Reservoir.
Completed in 1893, the reservoir included an overflow spillway and fountain-aeration system that made it a local attraction. A 1895 Report to the Aqueduct Commissioners featured the East Branch Reservoir and Sodom Dam on its gold-embossed cover.
Decades later, engineer and Brewster native Leon Brewster Lent (1876–1956) donated a copy of this report—containing photographs, maps, and blueprints—to the Brewster Public Library. The library later transferred the volume to the Putnam County Historian’s Office, where it is preserved in the County Archives for public access and research.
