rl36 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



a symmetric valley 500 feet deep^ opening north in'to the valley 

 of the west branch of the Oonewango. The location and altitude 

 of the valley are such that it held a glacial lake some 4 miles 

 long, with the outlet at the col about 2^ miles northwest of Cherry 

 Creek village, Chautauqua co. This channel is a clean, open cut 

 across the col with a swamp at the summit; a typical stream 

 channel (pi. 39). 



Cattaraugus lake. The only other glacial lake in the district 

 meriting particular attention at this time is that which occupied 

 the irregular basin drained by Cattaraugus oreek. Some time 

 has been spent in study of the lake phenomena, but the complete 

 history has not been translated. The main facts can however 

 be presented now. (The topographic sheets are not published, 

 and the reader will be obliged to use some county ot state 

 map.) 



The main branch of the Cattaraugus rises in Wyoming county 

 and flows westward, being joined above Gowanda by the south 

 branch. The later stages of the ice sheet in this region^ spread- 

 ing from Erie basin, blocked the stream and produced a glacial 

 lake of very irregular shape in the main valley and its tributaries. 



The earliest phases of this lake were preceded by smaller local 

 lakes in the tributary creeks from the south, each of which must 

 have had its own outlet across the divide to southern (Alle- 

 ghany) drainage. Two at least of these primary channels are 

 now used by railroads, one at Machias and another at West 

 Valley. With the farther recession of the ice front toward the 

 northwest, and the blending of the small primitive lakes into 

 one lake, the lowest of the several outlets must have taken the 

 entire overflow. This was probably the Machias channel, with 

 an altitude of 1647 feet, according to the profile of the Buffalo, 

 Eochester and Pittsburg railroad. With still farther retreat 

 of the ice a lower channel was opened farther westward, at 

 Persia flag station on the Erie railroad between Dayton and 

 Cattaraugus stations. The altitude of this outlet is not known 

 with precision, but it is something over 1300 feet. 



