Lake Whitney is a lake in Hamden, Connecticut that is a part of the Mill River. The lake was a water source for the New Haven, Connecticut metro area, until it was discontinued in the early 1990's. Now with a new water treatment facility rated for up to 15 million gallons a day, Lake Whitney has been reconnected as a reserve water source for the Regional Water Authority. This act has caused a lot of controversy in the area mainly because of residents' concerns about the water flow over the waterfall into the Mill River. Because of this, the regional water authority has agreed to extract only enough water to satisfy the need and change these levels depending upon the season. They also agreed to install a pump to ensure the flow of water over the dam at all times and are currently building a fish ladder to allow fish to swin upriver. Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. ... The Mill River is a river in the New England region of the United States, located entirely in the state of Connecticut. ... Nickname: The Elm City Location in Connecticut Coordinates: NECTA New Haven Region South Central Region Settled 1638 Incorporated (city) 1784 Consolidated 1895 Government  - Type Mayor-board of aldermen  - Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. ... Pool-and-weir fish ladder at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River Fishways, most commonly referred to as fish ladders but also known as fish passes, are structures placed on or around man-made barriers (such as dams and weirs) to assist the natural migration of diadromous fishes. ...