Nineteen Reservoirs

Nineteen Reservoirs chronicles the creation of New York City's water system through the flooding of communities in the Catskill Mountains during the early 1900s. The text focuses on the displacement of residents from their ancestral lands to make way for the massive infrastructure project. Author Luc Sante examines both the engineering achievements and human costs of building the reservoir system that now supplies over 7 billion gallons of water daily to New York City. Through historical records, photographs, and personal accounts, he reconstructs the stories of the towns and people who were forced to relocate as their valleys were submerged. The narrative tracks the political decisions, legal battles, and construction process behind each of the nineteen reservoirs, while centering the experiences of those who lost their homes. Key figures include the engineers who designed the system, the workers who built it, and the displaced residents who fought to preserve their communities. This work raises questions about progress, power, and the price paid by rural communities for urban development. By documenting this largely forgotten chapter of New York history, Sante illuminates tensions between city and countryside that continue to shape American life.

Readers appreciate Sante's focus on the human cost of New York City's reservoir system, particularly the displaced communities and flooded towns. Many note the book provides historical context they never learned despite living in the region. Multiple reviewers mention the power of the archival photographs and Sante's ability to bring forgotten stories to life. One reader called it "a haunting look at what lies beneath" while another praised how it "documents this massive transformation of the landscape." Some readers found the pacing uneven and wanted more details about specific towns rather than broader historical commentary. A few noted repetition between chapters. Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (43 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (29 reviews) Representative critical review from Goodreads: "Important history but becomes tedious. Would have benefited from tighter editing and more first-hand accounts from displaced residents." Notable positive review from Amazon: "Photos tell as much of the story as the text. Makes you look at tap water differently."

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🌊 The Ashokan Reservoir, one of the main subjects of the book, required the displacement of over 2,000 people and the flooding of several towns to create New York City's water supply. 📚 Author Luc Sante discovered this story while living in Ulster County, NY, where he found mysterious roads that led straight into the water, sparking his investigation into the drowned towns. 🏛️ The construction of the NYC reservoir system represents the largest taking of private land for public use in US history up to that time, with over 1 million acres acquired. 🌳 Many of the displaced residents were Dutch and English families who had farmed the same land for generations since the 1600s, and their abandoned graveyards had to be relocated. 📷 The book features numerous historical photographs, including images of homes being moved on rollers and towns in various stages of demolition before the flooding began in 1914.