The State of New York channelized and developed the Seneca River as part of the Barge Canal in the early 1900s. The Seneca River flows 15.3 miles through Cayuga County from Cayuga Lake to Cross Lake through the Towns of Aurelius, Montezuma, Conquest, Mentz, Cato and Brutus. It is part of the New York State Canal System and the New York State Canal Corporation controls its water levels as part of the Oswego River Basin.
The Seneca River carries the water discharges from Skaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, and Canandaigua Lakes into Cross Lake. The Seneca River flows west to east through the south end of Cross Lake. Cross Lake is a relatively long narrow (north-south) lake and it has a flushing rate (the average time required to completely renew a lake’s water volume) of 51 times per year. The river contributes 98 percent of the lake’s inflow. The Seneca River receives a considerable amount of runoff and carries nutrients and sediments into Cross Lake where they are deposited. Cross Lake is considered hypereutrophic (extremely rich in nutrients and minerals) due to the large amounts of phosphorus it receives from the Seneca River. It also has a tendency to flood since it is located downstream of the six Finger Lakes that release water into the Seneca River.
Cross Lake Physical Features
Elevation: 400 feet
Area: 3 square miles
Shoreline Length: 13.2 miles
Length: 4.5 miles
Width: 1.25 miles
Maximum Depth: 65 feet
Mean Depth: 18 feet
Towns adjacent to the Lake: Town of Cato in Cayuga County. Towns of Elbridge and Lysander in Onondaga County.
Plans and Guiding Documents
Upstate Flood Mitigation Task Force
On July 1, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul announced approval of legislation to reauthorize the Upstate Flood Mitigation Task Force, charging it with an essential mission: identifying and recommending reasonable measures to enhance flood management and mitigation along the New York Canal System. The Upstate New York Flood Mitigation Task Force Report dated July 1, 2023 is available here.
Data on Cross Lake
Data and information can be found on the NYSDEC’s Division of Water Monitoring Data Portal
Go to the portal and search for Cross Lake.
Groups involved with protecting Cross Lake and the Seneca River
Central New York Waterways, Inc.
Additional Resources
New York State Canal System and the New York State Canal Corporation
USGS Factsheet: Managing the Water Resources of the Oswego River Basin in Central New York