GLACIAL WATERS IN THE LAKE ERIE HASIX 



37 



contracted their areas until finally lost in either Whittlesey or 

 Warren. They are properly named after the village or some other 

 geographic feature in the lowest part of the lake bed. 



Passing from the west the first lake of this class worthy of present 

 mention is that which was held in the Canadaway valley, south of 

 Fredonia, and already called the Shumla lake [p. 21]. This is a good 

 type of this class of lakes, and its description will apply, in a general 

 way, to all. The earlier lake had its outlet at the pass to southern 

 drainage through the present Cassadaga lakes and Lilydale and 

 Cassadaga villages. When the ice, resting against the slope south 

 of Fredonia, was melted away from ground lower than the Cassadaga 

 outlet, and which had opening freely to the west, the second lake 

 was initiated. This highest channel to the west seems to have been 

 at the three-corners, 3 miles west of Shumla and over % mile south 

 of the mouth of the Wheelers Gulf canyon. The Cassadaga col is 

 about 1320 feet altitude, and the westward escape is somewhat 

 under 1300 feet. 



This second Shumla lake was not long stationary for the with- 

 drawal of the ice front on the sloping ground opened lower and still 

 lower outlets, and the vigorous streams cut the series of bluffs and 

 channels on the north-facing slope south of Fredonia. Not only was 

 the lake surface lowered and the area contracted but as the ice 

 barrier receded the lake followed. The lake thus migrated down 

 the valley, diminishing in depth and area until finally it was lost in 

 or blended with the invading Lake Whittlesey. The several channels 

 serving as outlets of the Shumla 4ake with the correlating deltas 

 have been described on pages 21, 22. 



The next lake on the east was in the Walnut valley above Forest- 

 ville. Probably some delta fillings may be found along the slopes 

 which correlate with the stronger outlet channels across the slope 

 to the westward. The village of Forcstville lies on a delta built in 

 the waning lake at its latest phase by the main creek, which had 

 followed the lake as the lake had followed the ice. 



The lake next eastward and the largest of all the lakes of this 

 class in the Erie basin was the third phase of the Cattaraugus waters, 

 determined in its several levels by the series of channels winding 

 around the slope between Gowanda and Forest ville. Two sets of 

 terraces or water levels are found in the lower part of the valley, 

 at Gowanda. The lower set was produced in the embayment of 

 Lakes Whittlesey and Warren. The upper set correlates with the 

 westward-leading channels. They are specially well developed 

 at Gowanda village, and were briefly described in the former writing 

 on this region. 



