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20-795: Originally known as the Oil Creek Reservoir , Cuba Lake was created in 1858 to help maintain water levels on the Genesee Valley Canal . Cuba Lake and its surrounding land is owned by New York State, and was managed as the Cuba Reservation between 1912 and 2011. Today, cottage and home sites on the lake are officially leased from the state as part of the Cuba Lake District . Cuba Lake is a regionally popular fishing and boating destination, with several sportfish and panfish species available. Cuba Lake

40-745: A way to transport their crops north to Rochester as the Genesee's cataracts made boat transport ineffective. On 6 May 1836, an act was passed in the New York Legislature authorizing the construction of the Genesee Valley Canal. It was to run from the Erie Canal on the south side of Rochester south-southwest along the Genesee River valley to Mount Morris , Portageville , and Belfast , and then cross-country to

60-523: Is a reservoir located north of the village of Cuba , primarily within the town of Cuba in Allegany County , with a small portion extending into Cattaraugus County . The 454-acre (1.84 km) lake has a maximum depth of 49 feet (14.9 m) and an average depth of 17 feet (5.2 m); during the winter, the lake is drawn down by six to eight feet (1.8 to 2.4 m). The lake is fed by Rawson Creek at its northwest end, and drains south through

80-677: Is a former canal that operated in western New York between 1840 and 1878. It ran for a length of 124 miles, passing through 106 locks . Its course was later used by the Genesee Valley Canal Railroad and today comprises portions of the Genesee Valley Greenway . Demand for a canal had increased in the first third of the 19th Century as new settlers cleared the fertile lands along the Genesee River to plant crops such as wheat. Farmers sought

100-659: Is long gone, but its remnants form the Genesee Valley Greenway . Sites like the remnants of the Ischua Dam can be seen by visiting the Town of Ischua Historical Society and Park, on the corner of Route 16 and Farwell Road in the Town of Ischua . Further down Route 16, the Hinsdale VFW post has highlighted the remnants of the lock system of the Genesee Valley Canal located there, both in Cattaraugus County near

120-524: The Allegheny River at Olean , with a branch from Mount Morris paralleling Canaseraga Creek to Dansville . According to New York State archives, the reservoir supplying the summit level impounded 68,000,000 cubic feet (1,900,000 m ) of water. A non-navigable feeder creek carried water to the summit at Hinsdale after crossing Oil Creek on an aqueduct. Thirteen feeder creeks fed the Genesee Valley Canal. The Ischua Creek runs north to south to

140-569: The Cuba Reservation (also known as the Cuba Lake Reservation ) in 1912. In doing so, the legislature placed the reservoir and surrounding state lands under control of the New York State Conservation Commission (predecessor to today's Department of Environmental Conservation ), who were charged with maintaining the reservoir and encouraging public recreational use of the area. At the time of

160-579: The Erie Canal . Later, after New York State announced their intention to drain the reservoir, lobbying by former canal superintendent Charles Wyvelle led to the reservoir being saved. The reservoir remained at its high-water mark until 1889, when the water level was lowered by 7.5 feet (2.3 m) to relieve fears raised by the Johnstown Flood that had occurred that year. An act of the New York State Legislature established

180-596: The Portage Falls gorge in what is now part of Letchworth State Park . This resulted in the building of a 400 foot aqueduct that ran 50 feet above the Genesee River. On 1 September 1840, the canal was opened to navigation from Rochester to Mount Morris . The extension to Dansville opened in the fall of 1841, and by then the split between the Dansville branch and the main line was set at Sonyea , southeast of Mount Morris . After some partial openings,

200-861: The Allegheny River and the still waters of the Ischua run deep, the town of Ischua was the perfect area to build a dam and utilize the water-way. Routing the canal through the Ischua-Hinsdale area enabled merchants to transport commerce from Rochester to Pittsburgh. The contract for the culverts on the Ischua feeder, as well as on lock sections 98 through 101, in Maplehurst, was awarded to Joseph T. Lyman and Dauphin Murray on Oct. 11, 1839. The canal builders faced considerable difficulty getting past

220-616: The Conservation Department's Division of Parks. The duties of the Division of Parks would later be transferred to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation , who managed the reservation until 2011. The reservoir and surrounding state property is held by the New York State Office of General Services as of 2015. In 1981, the Cuba Lake District was formed to aid in managing

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240-539: The Cuba Lake Outlet, a tributary to Oil Creek. The lake's watershed covers 16,316 acres (25.49 sq mi; 66.03 km). Originally known as the Oil Creek Reservoir, Cuba Lake was constructed between 1852 and 1858 to serve as a feeder reservoir for the Genesee Valley Canal . The reservoir was impounded by a 60-foot-tall (18 m) dam built at a cost of $ 150,000. When first completed,

260-753: The Olean terminus. Cuba Lake , originally known as Oil Creek Reservoir, located in the town of Cuba in Allegany County, was created in 1858 to help maintain water levels on the Genesee Valley Canal. Cuba Lake and its surrounding land is owned by New York State. Today, cottage and home sites on the lake are officially leased from the state as part of the Cuba Lake District. 42°16′21″N 78°14′00″W  /  42.27250°N 78.23333°W  / 42.27250; -78.23333 Walleye fishing Too Many Requests If you report this error to

280-610: The full line was opened at the beginning of navigation in 1862, running to Olean on the Allegheny River and beyond to Mill Grove, on the river just north of the Pennsylvania state line. However, by then, the Main Line of Public Works and Pennsylvania Railroad had been completed, opening up the interior of Pennsylvania without depending on New York, and there was no interest in improving the Allegheny River , which proved to only be able to handle large ships when its water level

300-515: The lake is permitted through a state-managed boat launch located near Rawson Creek's inlet on West Shore Road. Ice fishing access is possible from South Shore Road near the dam. Sportfish species found in Cuba Lake include walleye , smallmouth bass , largemouth bass , northern pike , common carp , yellow perch , rock bass , bluegill , pumpkinseed , brown bullhead , and black crappie . Genesee Valley Canal The Genesee Valley Canal

320-448: The land by offering five-year leases of the properties (for a $ 15 annual fee), and established a number of guidelines for the land's use. By 1919, the state had sold nearly 114 acres (0.46 km) of land not needed for recreation, and had enacted or planned improvements relating to the reservation's roads and trees. In 1928, control of Cuba Reservation was transferred to the newly created Allegany State Park Commission, which reported to

340-469: The needs of the lake and the surrounding cottages, many of which have been converted to permanent residences in recent years. The Cuba Lake District legally rents the land from New York State, and in turn collects lease fees from residents. It also works to organize maintenance activities on the reservoir and dam, publicize safety bulletins, and develop and enforce regulations. Cuba Lake is a popular regional destination for boating and fishing. Public access to

360-501: The reservation's establishment, Cuba Lake covered 501 acres (2.03 km) and the state controlled an additional 221 acres (0.89 km) of land surrounding the reservoir. Before being designated as a reservation, numerous vacation cottages had been erected by private individuals upon the state land. Although the occupiers of these cottages were effectively squatters , the Conservation Commission codified their use of

380-489: The reservoir covered 480 acres (1.9 km); after being deepened in 1864 and 1872, the reservoir reached a high-water area of 708 acres (2.87 km). At the time, it was claimed as the largest artificial lake in New York State. In 1878, the Genesee Valley Canal Railroad was completed, replacing the Genesee Valley Canal. The reservoir and a portion of the former canal were retained to help maintain water levels on

400-495: Was at its highest in the spring. Instead, the Buffalo, Bradford and Pittsburgh Railroad , connecting to the river at Carrollton , west of Olean , was used as a reason to continue building the canal. On 4 June 1877, the legislature approved an abandonment of the canal on or after 30 September 1878. The canal was sold on 6 November 1880 to the Genesee Valley Canal Railroad , which had been chartered 15 July of that year. The canal

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