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  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  The 
  Drowned 
  Lands 
  are 
  an 
  extensive 
  Pleistocene 
  lake 
  bottom 
  

   situated 
  mainly 
  in 
  New 
  York. 
  They 
  comprise 
  an 
  area 
  of 
  28 
  

   square 
  miles. 
  A 
  dam 
  of 
  drift 
  at 
  the 
  north 
  end 
  of 
  this 
  tract 
  holds 
  

   back 
  the 
  water 
  of 
  the 
  Wallkill, 
  causing 
  an 
  overflowing 
  of 
  this 
  

   entire 
  flood 
  plain. 
  Formerly, 
  this 
  area 
  formed 
  a 
  shallow 
  lake 
  

   or 
  undrained 
  swamp. 
  An 
  artificial 
  canal, 
  cut 
  through 
  the 
  drift 
  

   at 
  the 
  foot, 
  has 
  enabled 
  a 
  large 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  downstream 
  portion 
  

   to 
  be 
  reclaimed 
  for 
  agricultural 
  purposes. 
  

  

  Below 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  Drowned 
  Lands, 
  fifteen 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  

   New 
  Jersey 
  line, 
  the 
  Wallkill 
  flows 
  in 
  a 
  broad, 
  shallow 
  valley, 
  

   averaging 
  about 
  one 
  half 
  mile 
  in 
  width. 
  This 
  valley 
  has 
  been 
  eroded 
  

   frc-m 
  the 
  drift, 
  leaving 
  a 
  stream-bed 
  of 
  cobble 
  and 
  small 
  boulders 
  

   too 
  heavy 
  for 
  stream 
  transport. 
  The 
  river 
  terraces 
  are 
  not 
  

   abrupt, 
  often 
  curving 
  gracefully 
  to 
  the 
  uplands 
  30 
  to 
  60 
  feet 
  above 
  

   the 
  stream, 
  and 
  leaving 
  a 
  narrow 
  plain 
  submerged 
  only 
  during 
  

   freshets. 
  At 
  frequent 
  intervals 
  the 
  stream 
  cuts 
  through 
  the 
  over- 
  

   lying 
  drift 
  to 
  the 
  Hudson 
  river 
  slate, 
  and 
  passing 
  over 
  ledges 
  of 
  

   this 
  slate 
  produces 
  waterfalls. 
  

  

  At 
  Gardiner 
  the 
  Wallkill 
  receives 
  its 
  principal 
  tributary, 
  the 
  

   Shawangunk 
  kill. 
  The 
  divide 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  streams 
  is 
  formed 
  

   by 
  vertical 
  strata 
  of 
  a 
  blue 
  shale 
  fold, 
  making 
  a 
  definite 
  ridge 
  

   between 
  the 
  catchment 
  areas. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  are 
  the 
  catchmeni: 
  areas 
  on 
  Wallkill 
  river 
  : 
  

  

  Square 
  miles 
  

  

  Wallkill 
  above 
  Franklin 
  Furnace, 
  N. 
  J 
  31 
  

  

  Wallkill 
  at 
  New 
  York 
  and 
  New 
  Jersey 
  State 
  line 
  210 
  

  

  Wallkill 
  above 
  foot 
  of 
  Drowned 
  Lands 
  393 
  

  

  Wallkill 
  above 
  Freeman's 
  proposed 
  dam 
  site 
  464 
  

  

  Wallkill 
  at 
  mouth 
  of 
  Shawangunk 
  kill 
  563 
  

  

  Shawangunk 
  kill 
  above 
  mouth 
  149 
  

  

  Wallkill 
  below 
  Shawangunk 
  kill 
  712 
  

  

  Wallkill 
  above 
  Rifton 
  Glen 
  761 
  

  

  Wallkill 
  at 
  junction 
  with 
  Rondout 
  creek 
  779 
  

  

  Wallkill 
  total 
  catchment 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  567 
  

  

  