Owasco Lake

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Owasco Lake
Coordinates	42°48′54″N, 76°30′30″WCoordinates: 42°48′54″N, 76°30′30″W
Lake type	glacial
Catchment area	208 square miles (541 km²)
Max length	11 miles (17 km)
Max width	1 mile (1.6 km)
Max depth	177 feet (54 m)
Water volume	212 billion gallons (164 million m³)
Surface elevation	712 feet (217 m)
Settlements	Auburn, New York, Cascade, New York

Owasco Lake is the sixth largest and third easternmost of the Finger Lakes of New York in the USA. The name Owasco can be roughly translated from a Mohawk and Iroquois term meaning "crossing".

Owasco Lake, looking south.

The lake is eleven miles (17 km) long and the city of Auburn is located at the northern end and takes its drinking water from the lake. The lake lies entirely within the boundaries of Cayuga County. Its width ranges from one half mile at its southern end to one mile near the northern tip. Owasco Lake's deepest point is 177 feet, has a volume of 212 billion gallons, and has a watershed of 208 square miles. Owasco's surface is roughly 712 feet above sea level, controlled by a dam on the lake's outlet, located in the city of Auburn.

Located at the south end of the lake is the hamlet of Cascade, which consists of a community of cottages, South Shore Marina, and a restaurant, Cascade Grill.

Owasco Lake is an excellent recreation spot. Because it is smaller and shallower than many other Finger Lakes, its waters warm up much more quickly, so swimming, skiing, and boating are popular. At the lake's northern end is Emerson Park, a county park featuring a beach and boat launch. The lake's northeastern corner is home to the private Owasco Yacht Club, founded in 1889.

Owasco has a relatively large catchment area, compared to its overall volume. Unlike many of the other Finger Lakes, it is almost completely surrounded by agricultural land so the lake is especially vulnerable to high levels of nitrogen from farm run-off. It is also downstream from the villages of Moravia and Locke. This has created a marked increase in milfoil and other lake weed growth and affected oxygen levels in the lake. Sewage treatement effluent from two communities flows into the lake, which is not monitored with such stringent controls as neighboring Skaneateles Lake, which has the purest water of all the Finger Lakes.