NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



BLACK VALLEY GLACIAL WATERS 



PHYSIOGRAPHY 



New York State, because of its peculiar physiography, probably 

 surpasses any other district of equal area in the world in the number 

 and excellence of its Pleistocene glacial lakes. Taking into account 

 the several elements involved in the production and life of a glacial 

 lake, the ice-dammed waters held in the basin of the Black river, in 

 Jefferson and Lewis counties, affords one of the finest examples. 

 The reasons for this excellence lie in the favorable attitude, direc- 

 tion, dimensions and relations of the valley ; the simplicity and clear- 

 ness of its history ; the three distinct stages with different directions 

 of overflow; the pronounced channels and deltas due to the out- 

 drainage; and the remarkable development of sand plains built on 

 the east wall of the valley by the indrainage from the Adirondacks. 



The Genesee valley waters probably have no rival in the world in 

 the number of distinct stages, nor in the number of far-separated 

 great river systems to which the waters at different times were con- 

 tributed ; but the greater simplicity of the Black valley lake makes it 

 a more typical and suitable example for study. 



The district involved in this history is partially mapped in 

 Sackett Harbor, Watertown, Carthage, Port Leyden, Boonville, 

 Remsen and Oriskany sheets of the State topographic map. The 

 map of the quadrangle north of the Port Leyden and east of the 

 Carthage sheets is not yet available. The drainage of the area is 

 shown in the sketch map, plate i, while details are shown in 

 plates 2-4. 



The Black river carries the heavy drainage of a large area on the 

 west slope of the Adirondack highland. The river has its source in 

 the district of Ice Cove mountain, in the east edge of Herkimer 

 county. North lake being an expansion of its headwaters. For 

 something over 20 miles its course lies southwest, when it swings 

 to northwest passing through Forestport and Hawkinsville. In this 

 upper reach of about 30 miles the river has no pronounced valley, 

 but some three miles past Hawkinsville, and three miles east of 

 Boonville, it enters the head of the conspicuous and capacious valley 

 which popularly bears its name. This valley extends northwest 40 

 miles to Carthage where it opens into the broad St Lawrence low- 

 land. From Carthage the river curves around to the west and flow- 

 ing through open country with only a shallow, postglacial channel, 

 passes through the city of Watertown, and enters Lake Ontario at 

 Dexter, near Sackett Harbor. 



