Bridgeville, New York
Encyclopedia
Bridgeville is a hamlet
southeast of Monticello, New York
(the county seat
) located in the southern Catskill Mountains
in the Town of Thompson
, County of Sullivan
, and State of New York, U.S.A. Bridgeville is located on the Neversink River
on New York State Route 17
(future Interstate 86
), at an elevation of 1081 feet (329.5 m). It has hilly terrain.
Since Bridgeville is not a corporate entity and does not have a post office
of its own, population
figures are not available. See Town of Thompson for area demographic information. Bridgeville shares a Zip Code
with nearby Monticello of 12701 and telephone
area code 845.
is well known for fly-fishing
and Bridgeville is a popular location for fishermen. Bridgeville is also the site of Holiday Mountain Ski
Park
.
Indigenous inhabitants
of this area included members of the Algonquian
and Lene Lenape
(aka Delaware) tribe
s.
Bridgeville was the site of the first covered bridge
in New York State, built in 1807 to facilitate construction of the Newburgh-Cochecton Turnpike
, a major frontier
thoroughfare
connecting communities on the Delaware and Hudson
rivers. From Newburgh
, the turnpike
took the route of the modern N.Y. State Route 17K to Bloomingburg
in the Town of Mamakating
, from there following the present N.Y. State Route 17 (future I-86), and thence for the entire length of N.Y. State Route 17B from Monticello
west to Cochecton
, on the upper Delaware
. The ambitious project of building this road
opened new territory for Europe
an conquest
/development
, spread commerce
and greatly enhanced the tanning
industry
, which subsequently provided much of the leather
used in boot
s for Union soldiers
during the American Civil War
. The old bridge was demolished in 1923, replaced by the present-day span
(Sullivan County Bridge #285) over the Neversink River. According to a marker
that was placed on the original bridge
, the architect
was Maj. Salmon Wheat, a farmer
who lived near the present village of Howells; and directors
of the company were Jacob Powell, president; George Manell, treasurer
; William H. Veller, secretary; Jonathan Hedges, a Newburgh physician
; Charles Clinton; Levi Dodge; Daniel Stringham; Jonathan Fisk, a Newburgh attorney
; Cyprian Webster, Jr.; Reuben Neely, member of New York State Assembly
; Daniel C. Verplank of Fishkill
; Hamilton Morrison, later a Commissoner
of Common Schools
for the Town of New Windsor
; and David Crawford, a Hudson River
boat
captain
whose former residence now houses the Historical Society
of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands.
In July 1994 a civil judgment
was entered against the
Town of Thompson in New York State Supreme Court, in the
Matter of the application of Edwin Olmstead for a Judgment under Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules mandating proper care of the old Hoyt Cemetery
in Bridgeville.
In 2004, in anticipation of the settlement of long-standing legal claims to Indian reservation lands, the Stockbridge-Munsee Community filed a land trust
application for approximately 330 acres (1.3 km²) in Bridgeville, and the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York announced a venture with the owner of Monticello Raceway
, Empire Resorts
, to build a $500 million casino
adjacent to the Monticello Raceway. However, as a result of the United States Supreme Court’s subsequent decision in City of Sherrill, NY v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York, 125 S. Ct. 1478 (March 29, 2005), Gov.
George Pataki
withdrew pending legislation
and land claim settlements with the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma
, the Cayuga Nation of New York, the Oneida Nation
of Wisconsin
, and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. The withdrawal did not include a separate proposal by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe
, whose land claim was not affected by the Sherrill case. In light of these developments, the only casino development
that, as of August 2005, seemed imminent in Sullivan or Ulster
Counties was the one planned by the St. Regis Mohawks.
meters
called "flow targets" by which the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
monitors the fish
habitat
, water levels and temperature
below the Neversink Dam
. The confluence
of the Neversink and the upper Delaware River
is about 16 miles (25.7 km) downstream. Readings from Bridgeville and similar flow targets at Hale Eddy and Harvard are reported to the Delaware River Basin Commission
for use in controlling flow releases in providing drinking water
to the river basin which includes greater metropolitan
New York City, Philadelphia
, and Trenton
.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
southeast of Monticello, New York
Monticello, New York
Monticello is a village located in the Town of Thompson in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 6,512 at the 2000 census. It is the seat for the Town of Thompson and the county seat of Sullivan County...
(the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
) located in the southern Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
in the Town of Thompson
Thompson, New York
Thompson is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 14,189 at the 2000 census. The town is named after William Thompson, an early settler.The Town of Thompson is in the southeast part of the county....
, County of Sullivan
Sullivan County, New York
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
, and State of New York, U.S.A. Bridgeville is located on the Neversink River
Neversink River
The Neversink River is a tributary of the Delaware River in southeastern New York in the United States...
on New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17 is a state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States...
(future Interstate 86
Interstate 86 (east)
Interstate 86 is an Interstate Highway that extends for through northwestern Pennsylvania and southern New York in the United States...
), at an elevation of 1081 feet (329.5 m). It has hilly terrain.
Since Bridgeville is not a corporate entity and does not have a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
of its own, population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
figures are not available. See Town of Thompson for area demographic information. Bridgeville shares a Zip Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
with nearby Monticello of 12701 and telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
area code 845.
Attractions
The Neversink RiverNeversink River
The Neversink River is a tributary of the Delaware River in southeastern New York in the United States...
is well known for fly-fishing
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
and Bridgeville is a popular location for fishermen. Bridgeville is also the site of Holiday Mountain Ski
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
Park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
.
History
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
of this area included members of the Algonquian
Algonquian peoples
The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups, with tribes originally numbering in the hundreds. Today hundreds of thousands of individuals identify with various Algonquian peoples...
and Lene Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
(aka Delaware) tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
s.
Bridgeville was the site of the first covered bridge
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
in New York State, built in 1807 to facilitate construction of the Newburgh-Cochecton Turnpike
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
, a major frontier
Frontier
A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. 'Frontier' was absorbed into English from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"--the region of a country that fronts on another country .The use of "frontier" to mean "a region at the...
thoroughfare
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
connecting communities on the Delaware and Hudson
Delaware and Hudson Canal
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway...
rivers. From Newburgh
Newburgh (town), New York
Newburgh is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The 2010 census determined the population is 29,801. This is the first time ever that the population of the Town of Newburgh officially exceeded that of the adjacent but totally separate municipality known as the city of Newburgh...
, the turnpike
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
took the route of the modern N.Y. State Route 17K to Bloomingburg
Bloomingburg, New York
Bloomingburg, previously Bloomingburgh, is a village in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 353 at the 2000 census.The Village of Bloomingburg is in the Town of Mamakating.- History :...
in the Town of Mamakating
Mamakating, New York
Mamakating is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 11,002 at the 2000 census.The Town of Mamakating is in the southeast part of the county.- History :...
, from there following the present N.Y. State Route 17 (future I-86), and thence for the entire length of N.Y. State Route 17B from Monticello
Monticello
Monticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is...
west to Cochecton
Cochecton, New York
Cochecton is a town located in west-central Sullivan County, New York, USA. The population was 1,328 at the 2000 census. The name is an aboriginal word for "low land."...
, on the upper Delaware
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. The ambitious project of building this road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
opened new territory for Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an conquest
Empire
The term empire derives from the Latin imperium . Politically, an empire is a geographically extensive group of states and peoples united and ruled either by a monarch or an oligarchy....
/development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
, spread commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
and greatly enhanced the tanning
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
, which subsequently provided much of the leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
used in boot
Boot
A boot is a type of footwear but they are not shoes. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle and extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece....
s for Union soldiers
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The old bridge was demolished in 1923, replaced by the present-day span
Span (architecture)
Span is the distance between two intermediate supports for a structure, e.g. a beam or a bridge.A span can be closed by a solid beam or of a rope...
(Sullivan County Bridge #285) over the Neversink River. According to a marker
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
that was placed on the original bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
, the architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
was Maj. Salmon Wheat, a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
who lived near the present village of Howells; and directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of the company were Jacob Powell, president; George Manell, treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
; William H. Veller, secretary; Jonathan Hedges, a Newburgh physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
; Charles Clinton; Levi Dodge; Daniel Stringham; Jonathan Fisk, a Newburgh attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
; Cyprian Webster, Jr.; Reuben Neely, member of New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
; Daniel C. Verplank of Fishkill
Fishkill
Fishkill or Fish Kill is derived from the Dutch term Vis Kill, meaning "creek full of fish".Fishkill or Fish Kill may also refer to:-Communities:*Fishkill , New York, a town in Dutchess County...
; Hamilton Morrison, later a Commissoner
Board of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
of Common Schools
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
for the Town of New Windsor
New Windsor, New York
New Windsor is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was estimated at 25,244 in 2010 by the US Census.The Town of New Windsor is in the eastern part of the county, bordering the Town of Newburgh and the City of Newburgh....
; and David Crawford, a Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
whose former residence now houses the Historical Society
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands.
In July 1994 a civil judgment
Civil law (common law)
Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim...
was entered against the
Town of Thompson in New York State Supreme Court, in the
Matter of the application of Edwin Olmstead for a Judgment under Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules mandating proper care of the old Hoyt Cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
in Bridgeville.
In 2004, in anticipation of the settlement of long-standing legal claims to Indian reservation lands, the Stockbridge-Munsee Community filed a land trust
Land trust
There are two distinct definitions of a land trust:* a private, nonprofit organization that, as all or part of its mission, actively works to conserve land by undertaking or assisting in land or conservation easement acquisition, or by its stewardship of such land or easements; or* an agreement...
application for approximately 330 acres (1.3 km²) in Bridgeville, and the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York announced a venture with the owner of Monticello Raceway
Monticello Raceway
Monticello Gaming and Raceway is a harness racing track, and home to a relatively new racino, in Monticello, Sullivan County, New York. It is off Exit 104 of Route 17 , on New York State Route 17B....
, Empire Resorts
Empire Resorts
Empire Resorts is a company that owns the Monticello Raceway racino in the Catskill Mountains from New York City.Headquartered in Monticello, New York, Empire is 78.6% owned by Kien Huat Realty Sdn Bhd of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.-History:...
, to build a $500 million casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
adjacent to the Monticello Raceway. However, as a result of the United States Supreme Court’s subsequent decision in City of Sherrill, NY v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York, 125 S. Ct. 1478 (March 29, 2005), Gov.
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
George Pataki
Pataki
Pataki may refer to:* Pataki * Hungarian name of the Potoky, Slovakia* Hayden v. Pataki- See also :* Potok * Potocki family, an artistocratic family originating from Potok in the Kraków Voivodeship...
withdrew pending legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
and land claim settlements with the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, the Cayuga Nation of New York, the Oneida Nation
Oneida tribe
The Oneida are a Native American/First Nations people and are one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy in the area of upstate New York...
of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. The withdrawal did not include a separate proposal by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
, whose land claim was not affected by the Sherrill case. In light of these developments, the only casino development
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
that, as of August 2005, seemed imminent in Sullivan or Ulster
Ulster County, New York
Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
Counties was the one planned by the St. Regis Mohawks.
Hydrology
Bridgeville is the site of one of several waterWater
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
meters
Measuring instrument
In the physical sciences, quality assurance, and engineering, measurement is the activity of obtaining and comparing physical quantities of real-world objects and events. Established standard objects and events are used as units, and the process of measurement gives a number relating the item...
called "flow targets" by which the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for the conservation, improvement, and protection of natural resources within the U.S. state of New York. It was founded in 1970, replacing the previous Conservation Department...
monitors the fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
habitat
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
, water levels and temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
below the Neversink Dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
. The confluence
Confluence (geography)
In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...
of the Neversink and the upper Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
is about 16 miles (25.7 km) downstream. Readings from Bridgeville and similar flow targets at Hale Eddy and Harvard are reported to the Delaware River Basin Commission
Delaware River Basin Commission
The Delaware River Basin Commission is a United States government agency created in 1961 by an interstate compact, signed into law by President John F...
for use in controlling flow releases in providing drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
to the river basin which includes greater metropolitan
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
New York City, Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, and Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
.