﻿NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  TOPOGRAPHY 
  AND 
  DRAINAGE 
  

  

  The 
  Black 
  river 
  valley 
  may 
  be 
  looked 
  upon 
  as 
  the 
  principal 
  

   topographic 
  feature 
  along 
  the 
  western 
  border 
  of 
  the 
  Adiron- 
  

   dacks, 
  and 
  the 
  Port 
  Leyden 
  quadrangle 
  represents 
  a 
  consider- 
  

   able 
  portion 
  of 
  this 
  valley 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  deepest. 
  Black 
  river 
  

   enters 
  the 
  quadrangle 
  at 
  the 
  southeast 
  corner 
  at 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  

   looo 
  feet 
  and, 
  after 
  following 
  a 
  northwest-north 
  course, 
  leaves 
  it 
  

   near 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  northern 
  boundary 
  at 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  about 
  

   740 
  feet. 
  From 
  the 
  river 
  eastward 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  general 
  upward 
  

   slope 
  toward 
  the 
  Adirondacks. 
  Facing 
  the 
  river 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  steep 
  

   slope, 
  which 
  within 
  2^ 
  miles, 
  passing 
  eastward, 
  gives 
  way 
  to 
  

   a 
  generally 
  level 
  sand-flat 
  area 
  lying 
  at 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  from 
  

   1200 
  to 
  1300. 
  Along 
  the 
  eastern 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  map 
  several 
  points 
  

   reach 
  altitudes 
  of 
  from 
  1300 
  to 
  1340 
  feet. 
  

  

  Passing 
  westward 
  from 
  the 
  river 
  the 
  general 
  rise 
  is 
  much 
  

   more 
  rapid. 
  Two 
  terraces 
  are 
  here 
  well 
  developed 
  from 
  the 
  

   latitude 
  of 
  Port 
  Leyden 
  northward. 
  The 
  lowermost 
  terrace 
  

   is 
  from 
  2^ 
  to 
  4 
  miles 
  wide 
  and 
  has 
  a 
  steep 
  front 
  rising 
  

   from 
  300 
  to 
  400 
  feet 
  just 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  The 
  upper 
  ter- 
  

   race 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  Tug 
  hill 
  whose 
  very 
  steep 
  eastern 
  front 
  

   rises 
  from 
  400 
  to 
  450 
  feet 
  and 
  makes 
  up 
  the 
  western 
  por- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  quadrangle. 
  The 
  highest 
  point 
  on 
  this 
  side 
  of 
  

   the 
  river 
  is 
  Gomery 
  hill, 
  near 
  the 
  western 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  map, 
  

   which 
  shows 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  nearly 
  2100 
  feet, 
  while 
  altitudes 
  of 
  

   1800 
  to 
  1900 
  feet 
  are 
  common. 
  This 
  high 
  ground 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  

   of 
  the 
  river 
  is 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  broad 
  high 
  land 
  area 
  which 
  lies 
  

   between 
  Black 
  river 
  and 
  Lake 
  Ontario. 
  It 
  is 
  interesting 
  to 
  note 
  

   that 
  the 
  elevations 
  of 
  the 
  western 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  quadrangle 
  are 
  

   much 
  greater 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  eastern 
  or 
  Adirondack 
  portion. 
  

   In 
  order 
  to 
  reach 
  elevations 
  of 
  2100 
  feet 
  or 
  over 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  

   to 
  pass 
  20 
  or 
  25 
  miles 
  east 
  of 
  Black 
  river 
  into 
  the 
  Adirondacks 
  

   to 
  the 
  high 
  points 
  around 
  the 
  Fulton 
  chain 
  of 
  lakes. 
  

  

  Within 
  the 
  map 
  limits 
  Black 
  river 
  descends 
  200 
  feet, 
  through 
  

   a 
  series 
  of 
  still 
  waters 
  and 
  rapids, 
  before 
  reaching 
  Lyons 
  Falls. 
  

   At 
  Lyons 
  Falls 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  sudden 
  drop 
  of 
  60 
  feet, 
  but 
  from 
  this 
  

   point 
  northward 
  to 
  the 
  map 
  limit 
  the 
  river 
  flows 
  by 
  a 
  winding 
  

   course 
  through 
  an 
  old 
  lake 
  bottom 
  [see 
  p. 
  54] 
  and 
  the 
  gradient 
  

   is 
  almost 
  imperceptible. 
  The 
  largest 
  tributaries 
  to 
  Black 
  river 
  

   from 
  the 
  east 
  are 
  Fall 
  brook. 
  Moose 
  river, 
  Fish 
  creek, 
  Otter 
  creek 
  

   and 
  Independence 
  river. 
  By 
  far 
  the 
  largest 
  of 
  these 
  is 
  Moose 
  

  

  