﻿HYDROLOGY 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  207 
  

  

  Tonawanda 
  creek. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  noticed 
  that 
  the 
  current 
  of 
  Tona- 
  

   wanda 
  creek 
  is 
  reversed 
  here 
  for 
  twelve 
  miles. 
  

  

  The 
  Tonawanda 
  creek, 
  in 
  its 
  relation 
  to 
  Oak 
  Orchard 
  creek, 
  

   will 
  now 
  be 
  briefly 
  discussed. 
  Although 
  Tonawanda 
  creek 
  is 
  not 
  

   a 
  tributary 
  of 
  this 
  catchment, 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  catchment 
  areas 
  

   are 
  merged 
  into 
  one 
  another, 
  and 
  also 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  a 
  

   portion 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  of 
  Tonawanda 
  creek 
  is 
  diverted 
  into 
  the 
  Oak 
  

   Orchard 
  swamp 
  by 
  the 
  Oak 
  Orchard 
  feeder, 
  makes 
  it 
  necessary 
  to 
  

   discuss 
  it 
  briefly 
  here. 
  

  

  The 
  dam 
  diverting 
  water 
  into 
  the 
  Oak 
  Orchard 
  creek 
  is 
  about 
  

   one-half 
  mile 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  west 
  line 
  of 
  Genesee 
  county. 
  From 
  the 
  

   point 
  where 
  the 
  Tonawanda 
  creek 
  crosses 
  this 
  western 
  boundary 
  

   the 
  creek 
  is 
  the 
  boundary 
  between 
  Erie 
  and 
  Niagara 
  counties. 
  

   The 
  fall 
  in 
  Tonawanda 
  creek 
  from 
  Batavia 
  to 
  Oak 
  Orchard 
  dam 
  

   is 
  about 
  260 
  feet. 
  From 
  the 
  Oak 
  Orchard 
  dam 
  to 
  Pendleton, 
  

   where 
  the 
  Erie 
  canal 
  leaves 
  Tonawanda 
  creek, 
  the 
  fall 
  is 
  about 
  

   45 
  feet. 
  On 
  this 
  portion 
  the 
  channel 
  is 
  extremely 
  sinuous, 
  the 
  

   total 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  channel 
  between 
  Oak 
  Orchard 
  dam 
  and 
  the 
  

   canal 
  being 
  29 
  miles, 
  while 
  the 
  direct 
  distance 
  is 
  15 
  miles. 
  

  

  Xiagara 
  river. 
  Niagara 
  river 
  forms 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  boundary 
  

   between 
  the 
  Dominion 
  of 
  Canada 
  and 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  New 
  York. 
  

   The 
  difference 
  in 
  elevation 
  between 
  Lakes 
  Erie 
  and 
  Ontario 
  is, 
  

   approximately, 
  325 
  feet, 
  of 
  which 
  about 
  160 
  feet 
  are 
  at 
  Xiagara 
  

   Falls. 
  Between 
  Lake 
  Erie 
  and 
  Niagara 
  Falls 
  the 
  river 
  divides 
  

   into 
  two 
  channels 
  around 
  Grand 
  Island, 
  which 
  is 
  10 
  miles 
  long 
  

   and 
  4 
  or 
  5 
  miles 
  wide. 
  The 
  general 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  is 
  from 
  

   south 
  to 
  north, 
  but 
  in 
  passing 
  around 
  Grand 
  Island 
  the 
  eastern 
  

   channel 
  bends 
  westward, 
  and 
  for 
  3 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  

   island 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  is 
  west. 
  

  

  Goat 
  Island 
  lies 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  this 
  westerly 
  stretch. 
  On 
  the 
  

   New 
  York 
  side 
  the 
  American 
  channel 
  finds 
  its 
  way 
  around 
  the 
  

   island 
  to 
  the 
  American 
  falls, 
  which 
  break 
  over 
  the 
  rough 
  ledge 
  

   at 
  right 
  angles 
  to 
  the 
  main 
  river. 
  The 
  Horseshoe 
  falls, 
  on 
  the 
  

   Canadian 
  side, 
  are 
  about 
  3000 
  feet 
  higher 
  up 
  and 
  lie 
  between 
  the 
  

   west 
  end 
  of 
  Goat 
  island 
  and 
  the 
  Canadian 
  shore. 
  At 
  the 
  Cana- 
  

   dian 
  falls 
  the 
  main 
  river 
  again 
  turns 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  pursues 
  

   that 
  general 
  course 
  to 
  Lake 
  Ontario. 
  

  

  