DIVIDE AND CHANNEL OF THE WATKINS LAKE. 367 



one-fourth of a mile wide, Aviih bluffs and two narrow flood-plains 20 

 and 40 feet in height. For the 7 miles to Chemung river the channel has 

 a nearly straight course, with a direction east of south. At its head the 

 channel lies near the west rock-wall of the great preglacial valley ; from 

 Horseheads to Elmira its deepest section lies close to the east wall. The 

 sketch (figure 1) does not fairly indicate the channel. 



At the north edge of the village of Horseheads the lower flood-plain 

 is strongly developed. The village lies upon this broad gravel plain, 20 

 feet higher than the deeper eastern channel. The electric railroad be- 

 tween Elmira and Horseheads runs along the eastern edge of the 20-foot 

 plain, and gives good views of the deep section of the channel, which is 

 now occupied by Newtown creek. The upper gravel flood-plain, 20 feet 

 above the lower plain, or 40 feet above the channel bottom, forms a bluff 

 in the western edge of Horseheads village, upon which the cemetery is 

 located, and spreads w^estward through another broad preglacial valley 

 toward the Chemung river at Big Flats. The two terraces show clearly 

 also upon the eastern side of the valley (see figure 2, plate 20). 



From Horseheads down the valley the eastern deep section of the 

 channel is about one-third of a mile in breadth. The 20-foot flood-plain 

 is half a mile wide, making the width between the 40-foot bluffs nearly 

 one mile. 



The channel, with its bordering gravel plateaus, has a southward de- 

 cline of 40 feet between Horseheads and Elmira, or a slope of about 7 

 feet per mile. 



Upon the divide, and for some distance in either direction, the channel 

 bottom is covered with peat and the depth to rock is unknown. At 

 Horseheads, rock is not found at the depth of 200 feet. 



The northward descent from the water-parting is gentle as far as Pine 

 Valley, where the deep glacial lake-basin commences. The Northern 

 Central railroad follows the old stream channel, and the profile of the 

 road makes the altitude of its tracks at Pine Valley 895. o feet, and at 

 Horseheads 902 feet. At the latter point the railroad is upon the first or 

 lower flood-plain. The abandoned Chemung canal also traversed this 

 channel, and the altitude given for the " level " between Pine Valley and 

 Horseheads is 884 feet, being probably the bottom of the prism. 



From one mile north of the divide to Pine Valley the channel is nar- 

 rower and shows no terraces, and seems somewhat out of harmony and 

 proportion with the capacious channel and heavy gravel plains at Horse- 

 heads. Upon the east side it is bounded by low hills, consisting of till, 

 so far as positively known. The west wall, which forms the outer side of 

 the curve, is rock. At a point midway between the water-parting and 

 Pine Valley the bottom of the channel is also rock, w'hich was recently 



