﻿256 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Croton 
  rwer. 
  The 
  Croton 
  river 
  is 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  uniting 
  of 
  

   three 
  branches, 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  East/ 
  the 
  Midjdle 
  and 
  the 
  West 
  

   branch, 
  which 
  rise 
  in 
  the 
  southern 
  part 
  of 
  Dutches® 
  county, 
  flow- 
  

   ing 
  in 
  a 
  southerly 
  direction 
  through 
  Putnam 
  county 
  and 
  uniting 
  

   near 
  its 
  southern 
  boundary. 
  From 
  this 
  point 
  the 
  river 
  continues 
  

   in 
  a 
  southwesterly 
  course 
  across 
  Westchester 
  county 
  to 
  the 
  

   Hudson 
  river, 
  into 
  which 
  it 
  enters 
  at 
  Croton 
  point 
  thirty 
  miles 
  

   northerly 
  from 
  the 
  City 
  of 
  New 
  York. 
  The 
  principal 
  tributaries 
  

   of 
  the 
  Croton 
  are 
  the 
  Titicus, 
  Cross, 
  Kisco 
  and 
  Museoot 
  rivers. 
  

  

  The 
  catchment 
  of 
  the 
  Croton, 
  extending 
  about 
  thirty^three 
  miles 
  

   north 
  and 
  south 
  and 
  eleven 
  miles' 
  east 
  and 
  west, 
  lies 
  almost 
  

   entirely 
  in 
  New 
  York, 
  only 
  a 
  small 
  portion! 
  being 
  in 
  Connecticut. 
  

   Its 
  area 
  is 
  339 
  square 
  miles 
  above 
  the 
  old 
  Croton 
  dam 
  and 
  360 
  

   square 
  miles 
  above 
  the 
  new 
  Croton 
  dam 
  now 
  being 
  constructed. 
  

   The 
  catchment 
  is 
  hilly. 
  The 
  surface 
  soil 
  is 
  composed 
  principally 
  

   of 
  sand 
  and 
  gravel 
  — 
  clay, 
  hardpan 
  and 
  peat 
  are 
  found 
  to 
  a 
  limited 
  

   extent 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  localities. 
  The 
  rock 
  formation 
  consists 
  largely 
  of 
  

   gneiss. 
  Limestone, 
  micaceous 
  and 
  talcose 
  slate, 
  granite, 
  ser- 
  

   pertine 
  and 
  iron 
  ore 
  occur 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  places. 
  1 
  This 
  stream 
  is 
  of 
  very 
  

   great 
  importance 
  because 
  its 
  runoff 
  is 
  completely 
  utilized 
  for 
  the 
  

   water 
  supply 
  of 
  the 
  City 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  accordingly 
  exten- 
  

   sively 
  discussed 
  in 
  this 
  report. 
  

  

  FishJcill 
  creek. 
  This 
  stream 
  rises 
  in 
  the 
  central 
  part 
  of 
  Dutchess 
  

   county 
  and 
  flows 
  southwesterly 
  into 
  the 
  Hudson, 
  one 
  mile 
  south 
  

   of 
  Fishkill 
  station. 
  Its 
  headwaters 
  drain 
  the 
  western 
  slope 
  of 
  

   Chestnut 
  Ridge 
  mountains. 
  In 
  its 
  upper 
  reaches 
  the 
  stream 
  

   receives 
  the 
  drainage 
  from 
  extensive 
  swamp 
  and 
  flatlands. 
  The 
  

   lower 
  reaches 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  flow 
  along 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  Fishkill 
  

   range. 
  From 
  Fishkill 
  village 
  to 
  Fishkill 
  landing 
  it 
  falls 
  over 
  

   slate 
  and 
  limestone 
  ledges, 
  making 
  a 
  descent 
  of 
  200 
  feet 
  in 
  five 
  

   miles. 
  This 
  fall 
  is 
  largely 
  utilized 
  to 
  provide 
  waiter 
  power 
  for 
  

   manufactories 
  on 
  its 
  banks. 
  As 
  a 
  result, 
  the 
  stream 
  becomes 
  

   greatly 
  polluted 
  from 
  manufacturing 
  waste 
  and 
  other 
  impurities 
  

   which 
  it 
  receives. 
  

  

  1 
  Wegman's 
  Water 
  Supply 
  of 
  the 
  City 
  of 
  New 
  York. 
  (1896). 
  

  

  