GLACIAL GEOLOGY OF THE SARATOGA QUADRANGLE 41 



The present Sacandaga drainage area covers the south central 

 portion of the Adirondack region and also a portion of the Paleo- 

 zoic basin lying south of Northville. The course of the river from 

 its Adirondack sources is southward to Northampton and then 

 northeastward to its mouth at Luzerne. At Northampton it receives 

 the drainage from the Paleozoic basin just referred to. Something 

 like one-half of its drainage area lies south of Luzerne. It may 

 be inferred that when the ice front stood at Luzerne this southern 

 portion of the area was already freed from ice and that its drain- 

 age waters, together with those from the melting ice to the north, 

 discharged through the open Sacandaga at Luzerne. 



The influx of the Sacandaga waters produced an equal increase in 

 the outflow of waters from the lake. If at this time the outlet of 

 the lake was through the channel eastward from Corinth, this exit, 

 as yet partially developed, was insufficient in capacity to contain the 

 suddenly increased volume of waters and the excess was forced to 

 the earlier outlet across the morainic dam. If the latter outlet had 

 continued, after the junction of the two lakes, it now received 

 similarly the new rush of waters. The strong currents sweeping 

 through the long and narrow lake cut down the bed of this outlet 

 and enlarged it in lateral extent. Thus was formed the area of 

 leveled moraine. The currents also reduced the aggradation plain 

 south of the morainic dam. Sweeping on, partly finding and partly 

 making their channel, the erosive effects along the slopes of the 

 present Kayaderosseras creek were produced. Discharging into the 

 quiet waters of Lake Albany, the checked currents dropped their 

 load, building the Milton delta. 



It is believed that at least during the early stage of the flooded 

 epoch a portion of the waters found passage through the channel 

 east of Corinth, thus producing the erosive effects already described. 

 It is certain that prior to the union of the two lakes the eastern 

 one had its outlet in the line of the interglacial valley, over the 

 surface of the till partially filling the valley. The channel thus 

 opened was occupied and enlarged by the flood waters. It is pos- 

 sible that after the morainic dam south of Corinth was reduced, 

 the waters of the Lake lowered sufficiently to divert the entire flow 

 to the southern outlet, thus temporarily suspending the northern one. 

 In this case, at a later time, when the flooded conditions were pass- 

 ing and the south Corinth plain had been again aggraded, approach- 

 ing its present level of 636 feet, the waters backed and again entered 

 the channel eastward from Corinth, thus producing the present 

 drainage conditions. 



