Our science diorama is of the Ashokan Resevoir, and the name “Watery Graves” was not a figure of speech. It turns out a dozen small towns got evacuated so that the city can create the now famous Ashokan Reservoir. Families had to move out of homes, leave the schools and shops. 2,000 people were forced to move to higher ground or completely different towns against their will. The city offered to pay the residents $15 to dig up their friends or families graves and move them elsewhere. The Esopus Valley turned into the Esopus Creek. But many people grew up loving the Resevoir, getting ice blocks in the winter, and fish in the spring. There are mixed feelings about the situation but the land will forever stay wild, pure, and gorgeous.

We got our information from http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/14/nyregion/watery-graves-was-no-figure-speech-receding-city-reservoir-reveals-turbulent.html?_r=0.