HYDROLOGY OF NEW YORK 



537 



Pursuant to chapter 271 of the laws of 1825, the State of New 

 York purchased all the right, title and interest of the Seneca Lock 

 & Navigation Company. 



Elisha Williams died in 1833, at which time all the hydraulic 

 privileges owned by him, estimated to be thirty rights, each equal 

 to one run of stone, were sold. 



On the south side of the river the conditions were somewhat 

 different. In the year 1799 Samuel Bear settled on the south 

 shore of Seneca river, on land which is now included in that part 

 of the village of Waterloo which lies south of said river. In 1801 

 the State of New York conveyed to Bear one hundred acres of 

 land lying along and south of the river, together with the water- 

 power and privileges connected therewith. Bear then excavated 

 a raceway and erected a mill on this land. 



The present Cayuga and Seneca canal was completed by the 

 State in 1829, by which year water power on the Seneca river 

 had become very valuable. 



The foregoing historical matter shows that the State only owns 

 rights of navigation on Seneca river, and that the water power 

 belongs to the riparian owners, as was fairly recognized in the 

 original enactments. The Superintendent of Public Works states, 

 however, that from 1829 to the present time the Seneca canal has 

 been depleted of water for the use of the mills, frequently to such 

 an extent that it has been extremely difficult to maintain naviga- 

 tion continuously during the whole season. The canal has indeed 

 been looked upon and treated by the mill owners as an hydraulic 

 canal to conduct water to their mills, rather than as a canal to be 

 maintained for navigation. Following this line, the Superin- 

 tendent of Public Works expresses the opinion that so long as the 

 State holds out inducements to boatmen to expend their energy 

 and capital in the business of carrying freight on the canals, and 

 to merchants and traders to embark their goods thereon, the water 

 supply provided for the purposes of navigation should be used 

 therefor to the last drop, if necessary, before any other interest 

 is subserved; hence, the Superintendent is of the opinion that a 

 series of piers and tide bulkheads should be constructed, by which 

 the water of Seneca river may be controlled for the purposes of 

 navigation, and without reference to the rights of the riparian 



