8 
GEOLOGY OF THE FIRST DISTRICT, 
alluvial ooze. It is used for pasturage. There are boulders of rock on it, left by the ice, by 
which they were transported. A part of this marsh is covered by such trees as grow in our 
swamps. 
Between Rogers’ island and Catskill is an island of alluvial ooze, covered with tall grass, 
or a plant which is believed to be the wild rice of our northern lakes. It grows on some of 
the ooze islands and mud banks eight to ten feet high. From Oak-hill ferry, an alluvial ooze 
bank or flat, but which rarely shows itself above water, extends eight to nine miles down the 
river. 
At the mouth of Livingston creek, which is also called Ancram creek, and Roeleff Jansen’s 
creek, the alluvion is coarser (fine sand and silt), and covered with reeds and aquatic plants. 
This delta is the largest on this part of the Hudson. Opposite the lower part of Germantown, 
this deposit of alluvial forms long spits, almost islands, connected with the land at one end 
by very shoal water, while elsewhere they are separated by pockets of very deep water. The 
plant, believed to be the wild rice, grows very tall on these ooze spits. 
Between Upper Redhook landing and the mouth of the Saghkill, an extensive alluvial 
deposit is forming, which may be considered as the united deltas of the Saghkill and the creek 
which empties into the Hudson southeast of Upper Redhook landing. The bay in which this 
deposition is taking place, is filling up by the deposits of the streams which flow into it, the 
wash of the adjacent clay hills on the east and north, and by organic depositions, which form 
a large proportion of the bulk of the accumulating matter. The aquatic plants grow very 
thick and luxuriantly, and by their annual decay form a large amount of carbonaceous matter, 
mixed with the wash of the adjacent country. Two islands cut off the river from most of the 
west boundary of this bay, and a marsh connects the largest island, or peninsula, with the 
main land, so that the water stagnates. These flats, of which there are some hundred acres, 
will eventually be valuable land ; but several generations may pass away before that time, 
unless they be diked out. The islands are on a line with the rocky shore above Upper Red¬ 
hook landing, and are the outcropping edges of the same strata. 
An island of alluvial ooze is forming about two and a half miles below Rhinebeck landing, 
and extensive flats under water are also in process of formation. Between Emmet’s and 
Thompson’s landings, clay hills bound the bay on the east, in which these depositions are 
taking place. Three small creeks also empty into it, and by their deposits assist in the accu¬ 
mulation. 
At the mouth of Caspar creek, a small delta is forming. 
At the mouth of Wappinger’s creek, a small alluvial deposition commences, which extends, 
with little interruption, until it joins that of Fishkill creek, and continues thence to the High¬ 
lands. There are few places where it shows itself above water, even at ebb tide ; but it is an 
alluvial bank from fifty to six hundred yards broad, and nearly ten miles in length. 
There are many small alluvial marshes and flats, which are too small to notice, and they 
can be of comparatively little value, even prospectively, except for manure. The river ooze 
is every where well adapted for fertilizing the soil. 
