671 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



to the people of the State by the existence of Lockport of over 

 one and a half million dollars, not including in this the actual 

 increased value of the city itself. The conclusion is drawn that 

 the benefit to the State at large has been very great on account of 

 this expenditure for internal improvement, irrespective of ques- 

 tions of navigation. This question is also discussed on page 239. 



Power at Medina. The Oak Orchard feeder and the waterpower 

 at Medina present somewhat different points for consideration 

 from those at Lockport. 



About 1820 the Canal Commissioners caused a cut-off channel to 

 be constructed through Tonawanda swamp between Tonawanda 

 and Oak Orchard creeks, whereby the early summer flow of Tona- 

 wanda creek is diverted into Oak Orchard creek. Oak Orchard 

 creek passes under the Erie canal at Medina, and the original 

 feeder channel at that place was an artificial channel leading from 

 a dam thrown across the creek and entering the canal near the 

 west branch of Oak Orchard creek at Medina. At some period sub- 

 sequent to 1823 a raceway was constructed by private parties lead- 

 ing from a second dam higher than the feeder dam and conducting 

 water into the central part of the village, where, after it is used, it 

 is finally allowed to pass into the canal. During the enlargement 

 of 1836 to 1862 the water-surface level of the canal at Medina was 

 raised, and inasmuch as this change necessitated raising tbe 

 feeder dam somewhat, it was finally concluded to discontinue the 

 feeder and depend entirely on the raceway for such supply as tbe 

 canal might receive at this point. 



Oak Orchard feeder has been considered as furnishing about 27 

 cubic feet of water per second to the canal, although measure- 

 ments made in 1850 show about 37 cubic feet per second. Since 

 then the clearing up of forests and the drainage of Oak' Orchard 

 and Tonawanda swamps have tended to reduce materially the low- 

 water flow until it is probably less than 27 cubic feet per second. 

 Moreover, for the future, the dry-weather yield from this catch- 

 ment area may be expected to be somewhat less than in the past, 

 because of the deepening of the channel of Oak Orchard creek and 

 of the crosscut authorized by the laws of 1893. The act provided 

 for deepening the channel of Oak Orchard creek from ;i point i M L > 

 miles below where the Tonawanda creek enters the Oak Orchard 



