from the water, the Reservoir is surrounded by a 2003 fence that re-creates the original cast iron fence, based on a section of the original 19th-century fence that was discovered by scuba divers at the bottom of the Reservoir. A pair of gatehouses are connected by a causeway bisecting the reservoir. The visible causeway is actually the top of a wall that splits the reservoir into two chambers, allowing one to be drained for maintenance while the other half continued operation. When the reservoir was operational, the North Gatehouse pumped water into the reservoir outside Manhattan, and the South Gatehouse pumped water out to lower Manhattan. The gatehouses were decommissioned in 1993 but remain in place today. The Reservoir is often visited by tourists, especially when its double pink "Yoshino" cherry trees (Prunus x yedoensis), followed by "Kanzan" cherry trees Prunus serrulata, are blooming. The rhododendrons along the "Rhododendron Mile" were a gift to the city from Mrs Russell Sage in 1909. The Reservoir area is one of the main ecological sanctuaries in the park, attracting more than 20 species of waterbirds: coots, mergansers, northern shovelers, ruddy ducks, buffleheads, loons, cormorants, wood ducks, American black ducks, gadwall, grebes, herons and egrets, along with various species of gulls, may be seen in addition to the familiar mallards and Canada geese, making it a popular venue for birdwatchers. In popular culture Films showing the Onassis Reservoir include: Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) Marathon Man (1976) Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) Devil's Advocate (1997) Sex and the City (2008) Television shows include: Gossip Girl (2007–2012) The Boys (2019) See also New York City water supply system Sawkill References Notes Sources External links Central Park Reservoir Central Park Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoirs in Manhattan Reservoirs in New York (state)