﻿864 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  THE 
  DRAINAGE 
  OF 
  SWAMP 
  AREAS 
  IN 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  swamp 
  areas 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  State, 
  

   the 
  major 
  portion 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  situated 
  iu 
  the 
  western 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   State, 
  in 
  Chautauqua, 
  Cattaraugus, 
  Erie, 
  Niagara, 
  Orleans, 
  Gen- 
  

   esee, 
  Ontario, 
  Yates, 
  Wayne, 
  Seneca, 
  Cayuga, 
  Onondaga 
  and 
  

   Oswego 
  counties. 
  There 
  are 
  also 
  extensive 
  swamp 
  areas 
  in 
  the 
  

   northern 
  part, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  southern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  The 
  

   following 
  are 
  the 
  approximate 
  areas 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  im- 
  

   portant 
  of 
  these 
  swamps: 
  

  

  Acres 
  

  

  Conewango 
  swamp 
  12,000 
  

  

  Tonawanda 
  20,000 
  

  

  Oak 
  Orchard 
  25,000 
  

  

  Montezuma 
  26,000 
  

  

  Flint 
  creek 
  . 
  . 
  3,600 
  

  

  Weedsport 
  7,500 
  

  

  Cicero 
  16,000 
  

  

  Wallkill 
  valley. 
  26,000 
  

  

  In 
  addition, 
  there 
  are 
  in 
  various 
  

  

  parts 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  small 
  swamps 
  

  

  aggregating 
  at 
  least 
  107,000 
  

  

  Total 
  243,100 
  acres 
  =380 
  sq. 
  miles 
  

  

  The 
  Water 
  Storage 
  Commission 
  received 
  urgent 
  requests 
  to 
  

   drain 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  of 
  these 
  swamps, 
  and 
  since 
  such 
  work 
  

   was 
  clearly 
  in 
  line 
  with 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  this 
  commission, 
  particular 
  

   attention 
  was 
  paid 
  to 
  such 
  improvement. 
  Some 
  attempt 
  was 
  

   made 
  to 
  drain 
  Montezuma 
  marsh 
  in 
  previous 
  years, 
  but 
  owing 
  to 
  

   neglect 
  of 
  the 
  fundamental 
  principles, 
  comparatively 
  little 
  im- 
  

   provement 
  has 
  resulted. 
  As 
  regards 
  Montezuma 
  swamp, 
  its 
  

   drainage 
  will 
  be 
  effected 
  as 
  incidental 
  to 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  the 
  

   barge 
  canal, 
  but 
  the 
  drainage 
  of 
  the 
  numerous 
  other 
  swamp 
  areas, 
  

   such 
  as 
  Conewango, 
  Tonawanda, 
  Oak 
  Orchard, 
  Cicero, 
  Flint 
  

   Creek, 
  etc. 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  effected 
  by 
  works 
  specially 
  designed 
  for 
  

   each 
  local 
  case. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  give 
  some 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  draining 
  these 
  

   swamps, 
  it 
  is 
  understood 
  that 
  swamp 
  lands 
  now 
  sell 
  at 
  from 
  |2 
  

  

  