HYDROLOGY OF NEW YORK 



207 



Tonawanda creek. It will be noticed that the current of Tona- 

 wanda creek is reversed here for twelve miles. 



The Tonawanda creek, in its relation to Oak Orchard creek, 

 will now be briefly discussed. Although Tonawanda creek is not 

 a tributary of this catchment, the fact that the catchment areas 

 _ are merged into one another, and also owing to the fact that a 

 portion of the water of Tonawanda creek is diverted into the Oak 

 Orchard swamp by the Oak Orchard feeder, makes it necessary to 

 discuss it briefly here. 



The dam diverting water into the Oak Orchard creek is about 

 one-half mile east of the west line of Genesee county. From the 

 point where the Tonawanda creek crosses this western boundary 

 the creek is the boundary between Erie and Niagara counties. 

 The fall in Tonawanda creek from Batavia to Oak Orchard dam 

 is about 260 feet. From the Oak Orchard dam to Pendleton, 

 where the Erie canal leaves Tonawanda creek, the fall is about 

 15 feet. On this portion the channel is extremely sinuous, the 

 total length of the channel between Oak Orchard dam and the 

 canal being 29 miles, while the direct distance is 15 miles. 



Niagara river. Niagara river forms a portion of the boundary 

 between the Dominion of Canada and the State of New York. 

 The difference in elevation between Lakes Erie and Ontario is, 

 approximately, 325 feet, of which about 160 feet are at Niagara 

 Falls. Between Lake Erie and Niagara Falls the river divides 

 into two channels around Grand Island, which is 10 miles long 

 and 4 or 5 miles wide. The general course of the river is from 

 south to north, but in passing around Grand Island the eastern 

 channel bends westward, and for 3 miles from the foot of the 

 island the course of the river is west. 



Goat Island lies at the foot of this westerly stretch. On The 

 New York side the American channel finds its way around the 

 island to the American falls, which break over the rough ledge 

 at right angles to the main river. The Horseshoe falls, on the 

 Canadian side, are about 3000 feet higher up and lie between the 

 west end of Goat island and the Canadian shore. At the Cana- 

 dian falls the main river again turns to the north and pursues 

 that general course to Lake Ontario. 



