6 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



GENERAL GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY 



In general the quadrangle presents a fairly rugged topography 

 and for some portions the term mountainous might well be applied. 

 The maximum range in altitude is from less than 720 feet, where 

 the Sacandaga river leaves the sheet, to over 2020 feet about two 

 and one-half miles west of Noithville. 



As shown on the topographic map, two mountain masses stand 

 out conspicuously in the northwestern and the northeastern por- 

 tions of the quadrangle respectively. The importance of these 

 features may be best appreciated by viewing them from the low 

 divide between Northville and Edinburg, from where they appear 

 like mountain ridges rising abruptly above the surrounding country. 

 The western highlands show elevations commonly from 1800 to 

 2000 feet, while the eastern highlands general^ run from 1600 to 

 1800 feet above the sea. 



Between the highlands lies a broad lowland district (elevation 

 720 to 850 feet) extending from Northville southward nearly to 

 Broadalbin. The lowest part is occupied by a great level stretch 

 of swamp land known as the '' Vly " and by the Sacandaga river 

 flats. The central northern portion, between Northville and Edin- 

 burg, is hilly with altitudes of from 900 to 1300 feet. The southern 

 portion of the quadrangle is mostly covered with deep drift and 

 is characteristically hilly with elevations of from 800 to 1200 feet. 



The drainage of the district presents some unusually interesting 

 features. The largest stream is the Sacandaga river, a branch of 

 the Hudson, which enters the sheet from the northwest. At 

 Northampton this river suddenly swerves sharply to a north-north- 

 east course which is held for the eight miles past Batchellerville to 

 the map limit, whence it cuts across a wide belt of Precambric rock 

 to empty into the Hudson at Luzerne. Little less remarkable is the 

 course of Kennyetto creek which has its source in the western part 

 of the Saratoga sheet and, after a west-southwesterly course for 

 some fifteen miles to Vail Mills, suddenly swerves to the north- 

 northeast for over eight miles to empty into the Sacandaga at 

 Northampton. Hans creek also shows a similar change in its 

 course. This remarkable tendency of the streams to turn back on 

 their courses will be explained in a later portion of this report 

 [see page 54]. 



The watershed or division of drainage between the Sacandaga 

 and Mohawk rivers passes across the southern part of the sheet so 

 that only about one-third of the map area drains into the Mohawk. 



