464 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



river at mouth, 415.5 square miles; Woodhull creek at mouth, 

 108 square miles; Otter creek, above Casler's dam, 63 square 

 miles; Independence creek, 99 square miles. 1 



The descent of the river above Lyon Falls, as well as below 

 Carthage, is very rapid. At North lake reserv.oir the elevation is 

 1821 feet above tidewater ; at Forestport, 1126 feet ; at Lyon Falls, 

 above the dam, 799 feet, and at Carthage, 723 feet. At Dexter, 

 at Lake Ontario level, the elevation is 247 feet. 2 



Throughout the flat portion of the stream, between Lyon Falls 

 and Carthage, the river at ordinary stages ranges from 250 to 

 300 feet wide, increasing to about 500 feet above the Carthage 

 dam, which is 966 feet long. In a powerful freshet like that of 

 1869 the flats on each side are overflowed to a great width and 

 considerable depth, the quantity of water accumulated in large 

 floods being computed at from 4,000,000,000 to 6,000,000,000 cubic 

 feet. If we take into account the water held in the interstices 

 of the soil, the temporary storage is considerably higher than 

 indicated by these figures. In this reach of the river, which is 

 alluvial in its formation, there are now two dams of 4 feet each, 

 with locks for facilitating navigation. 



The river has no affluents of any magnitude below Carthage, 

 but a few miles above that place, on the west side, Deer river 

 comes in. There are also a number of secondary creeks between 

 Deer river and Lyon Falls. On the east side the chief affluents 

 are Beaver river, Independence creek, Otter creek and other sec- 

 ondary creeks below Lyon Falls, with Moose river flowing in just 

 above Lyon Falls. All of these streams between Carthage ami 

 Lyon Falls have rapid descents, with consequent large flood- 

 flows. 



The following tabulation gives the catchment area of Otter and 

 Independence creeks, as well as of Beaver and Deer rivers and 

 Black river, including Moose river above Lyon Falls, together with 



x For statement in more detail of the Black river catchment area and 

 elevations, see pages 221-222. 



2 The fall in Black river from the foot of Lyon Falls to Carthage is feet 

 in a distance of about 30 miles in a straight line. The distance by the 

 meander of the river is considerably greater than this. This Intermediate 

 flat stretch of river is duo to ;i rocky barrier at Carthage. 



