Black River (New York)

File:Black River, New York, Nov 2015.jpg, in the Village of Black River]]

The Black River originates at North Lake in the foothills of the Adirondacks, in Herkimer County, about {{convert|25|mi|km}} east of Boonville. The river flows west into Oneida County then north, past Forestport and Boonville into Lewis County. At Lyons Falls, it is joined by the Moose River from the east just above the eponymous waterfall, where the river drops {{convert|70|ft|m}} over a gneiss cliff.{{cite book |last1=Corwin |first1=Harney J. |title=Images of America - Lewis County |date=2012 |publisher=Arcadia Pub. |location=Charleston, S.C.|isbn=978-0738592886 |page=102 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gHooaCkm7EcC&pg=PA102 |access-date=March 16, 2015}}

Near Glenfield the Black River receives the smaller tributaries of Otter Creek and the Independence River, also from the east. Further north, it passes Lowville, then receives the Beaver River from the east, then the Deer River, its only major western tributary. Starting above Carthage the river briefly divides Lewis and Jefferson Counties before crossing entirely into Jefferson County, where it turns sharply west toward Lake Ontario, flowing past Great Bend, Black River and Watertown. Below Watertown it enters a canyon, well known for its challenging rapids.

File:Black River, looking North at the Rte 3 Bridge, NOV 15.jpg

The river ends at Lake Ontario in the village of Dexter, about {{convert|10|mi|km}} west of Watertown, where it empties into the Black River Bay and Marsh, which are parts of the Golden Crescent. For the last few miles it forms the boundary between the Towns of Brownville and Hounsfield.

There are at least 17 dams on the Black River, with eight in the upper part above Lyons Falls, and nine below Watertown.{{cite web |url=http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/40570.html |title=Fishing and Canoeing the Black River |website=Dec.ny.gov |author=NYS Department of Environmental Conservation |access-date=March 15, 2015 |archive-date=March 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321072616/http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/40570.html |url-status=live }} The upper and lower reaches of the river have a steep gradient and were originally developed to provide mechanical power for mills, such as the old Georgia-Pacific paper mill (which now sits abandoned and falling into disrepair) in Lyons Falls, and later hydroelectricity. In contrast the middle {{convert|40|mi|km}} of the river have practically no gradient and are not suitable to the development of head for industrial or hydropower projects.

The three uppermost dams, forming North Lake, Kayuta Lake{{cite web |last1=Harman |first1=W.N. |last2=Albright |first2=M.F. |last3=Horvath |first3=T. |title=Limnological investigations of Kayuta Lake, Onieda County, NY |url=http://www.oneonta.edu/academics/biofld/PUBS/ANNUAL/2001%20content/%28187%29%2012%203.pdf |access-date=March 16, 2015 |archive-date=November 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105080215/http://www.oneonta.edu/academics/biofld/PUBS/ANNUAL/2001%20content/%28187%29%2012%203.pdf |url-status=live }} and the smaller Forestport Reservoir{{cite web |url=http://blackrivercanalmuseum.com/Chronology.htm |title=Black River Canal Chronology |newspaper=Blackrivercanalmuseum.com |author=Boonville Black River Canal Museum |access-date=March 15, 2015 |archive-date=February 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220075111/http://www.blackrivercanalmuseum.com/Chronology.htm |url-status=live }} are the only structures forming significant impoundments. The other dams are run-of-the-river, with no appreciable storage capacity, so power generation is entirely dependent on the natural flow of the river combined with releases from upstream reservoirs, which is relatively consistent except for drought years.

Abundant trout, salmon, bass, and pike are present in the stream, and salmon is the most favored.

Whitewater rafting and kayaking are popular on some stretches of the river, notably the Black River Canyon, which begins in Watertown and ends in Brownville. The Black River Canyon is one of few whitewater streams which have reliable flows throughout the summer. The "Canyon" itself is not actually present until you reach Brownville and ends in the Dexter Reservoir.

A number of streams and lakes in the watershed have been impaired as a result of acid rain. Elevated levels of mercury have led to restrictions on the consumption of fish in some areas.

In August 2005, the Black River was contaminated by a spill from a manure lagoon on Marks Dairy Farm (a concentrated animal feeding operation near Lowville) when a retaining wall gave way, allowing the contents of a waste holding pond to spill.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/15/nyregion/15dip.html?_r=0 |title=Workers Trying to Contain Effects of Big Spill Upstate |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 15, 2005 |author=Michelle York |access-date=March 15, 2015 |archive-date=April 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403020134/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/15/nyregion/15dip.html?_r=0 |url-status=live }} About {{convert|3|e6USgal|m3}} of pollution flowed into the river. An estimated 280,000 to 375,000 fish were killed.{{cite web |url=http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/mfarmresplfin.pdf |title=Restoration and Spending Plan - Marks Farm Natural Resource Damages Settlement |newspaper=Dec.ny.gov |author=NYS Department of Environmental Conservation |access-date=March 15, 2015 |archive-date=April 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405082327/http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/mfarmresplfin.pdf |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/7806/20060804/marks-farm-dec-settle-over-black-river-manure-spill |title=Marks Farm, DEC settle over Black River manure spill |website=Northcountrypublicradio.org|date=August 4, 2006 |author=Greg Warner |access-date=March 15, 2015 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402110117/http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/7806/20060804/marks-farm-dec-settle-over-black-river-manure-spill |url-status=live }}

As of August 3, 2006, a settlement has been reached and Marks Dairy Farm, originator of the spill, was ordered to pay $2.2 million.

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;Left

:South Branch Black River

:Twin Lakes Stream

:Little Black Creek

:Kent Creek

:Mill Creek

:Sugar River

:Mill Creek

:Douglass Creek

:House Falls Creek

:Whetstone Creek

:Roaring Brook

:Rainbow Creek

:Mill Creek

:Negro Creek

:Stony Creek

:Deer River

:Felts Mills Creek

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;Right

:Otter Brook

:Indian Creek

:Cold Brook

:Cummings Creek

:Mile Creek

:Fall Brook

:Miller Brook

:Cold Brook

:Moose River

:Fish Creek

:Otter Creek

:Independence River

:Harvey Creek

:Hodge Creek

:Crystal Creek

:Capidon Creek

:Beaver River

:Potash Creek

:Swiss Creek

:Kelsey Creek

:Philomel Creek

:Trout Creek

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• List of New York rivers
• Village of Black River, New York

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book|last1=O'Hern|first1=William|last2=Byron-Curtiss|first2=A.L.|title=Adirondack stories of the Black River Country|date=2003|publisher=North Country Books|location=Utica, N.Y.|isbn=0-925168-68-8}}

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• [http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/40570.html NYS Department of Environmental Conservation: Fishing and Canoeing the Black River]
• [http://www.americanwhitewater.org/rivers/id/1254/ National Whitewater River Inventory: Black River, Hawkinsville Section]

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Category:Adirondacks

Category:Rivers of New York (state)

Category:Rivers of Jefferson County, New York

Category:Rivers and Creeks in Watertown, New York

Category:Rivers of Lewis County, New York

Category:Rivers of Oneida County, New York

Category:Rivers of Herkimer County, New York