Opalescent River

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Opalescent River
Alexander H. Wyant - The Flume, Opalescent River, Adirondacks - 1909.7.81 - Smithsonian American Art Museum.jpg
Painting of a flume in the Opalescent River by Alexander H. Wyant
Location
Country United States
State New York
Region Adirondacks
County Essex
Physical characteristics
SourceLittle Marcy Mountain
  location Adirondack Mountains, New York, United States
  elevation4,200 ft (1,300 m)
Mouth  
  coordinates
44°01′05″N74°03′10″W / 44.0181°N 74.0528°W / 44.0181; -74.0528 Coordinates: 44°01′05″N74°03′10″W / 44.0181°N 74.0528°W / 44.0181; -74.0528

The Opalescent River is a river in Essex County, New York. It is both a tributary of and the longest source of the Hudson River. Part of the river is designated by New York State as a Wild River in the Wild, Scenic, and Recreational Rivers system. [1]

Contents

Course

Opalescent River has its source on the west side of Little Marcy Mountain, at over 4,200 ft (1,300 m) in elevation. [2] After nearly two miles, Feldspar Brook—which itself originates from Lake Tear of the Clouds—converges with the Opalescent. The river then passes through Flowed Lands, and 11 miles later reaches Calamity Brook, at which point the stream becomes cartographically known as the Hudson River.

The 11-mile stretch from Flowed Lands to the confluence with the Hudson River is designated a New York State Wild River by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). [1]

History

A canoeist on the Opalescent River near its confluence with the Hudson River (GPS 44.018172, -74.052487). Opalescent River.jpg
A canoeist on the Opalescent River near its confluence with the Hudson River (GPS 44.018172, -74.052487).

In the 1800s, David Henderson, the owner of an iron vein, thought to dam the Opalescent River to run water past his blast furnaces. [2] The dam was eventually built, but only after Henderson died in a gunshot accident while scouting locations for the dam. The dam diverted water to Calamity Brook (named after the aforementioned accident) until 1984, when it was broken by the DEC over safety concerns. [3]

In 2015, the DEC purchased the 6,200 acre MacIntyre East Tract (which contains seven miles of the lower part of Opalescent River) from The Nature Conservancy for $4.2 million. [4] This acquisition gave more access to visitors for wilderness paddling, as well as opening up the shores to picnicking, fishing, and camping. [5] [6]

In 2018, the DEC proposed the creation of three parking areas along the upper Hudson River with put-ins and take-outs for paddlers, including one near the confluence of the Opalescent River and the Hudson River. [7]

Related Research Articles

Hudson River River in New York State, United States

The Hudson River is a 315-mile (507 km) river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York in the United States. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the Upper New York Bay between New York City and Jersey City, eventually draining into the Atlantic Ocean at New York Harbor. The river serves as a political boundary between the states of New Jersey and New York at its southern end. Farther north, it marks local boundaries between several New York counties. The lower half of the river is a tidal estuary, deeper than the body of water into which it flows, occupying the Hudson Fjord, an inlet which formed during the most recent period of North American glaciation, estimated at 26,000 to 13,300 years ago. Even as far north as the city of Troy, the flow of the river changes direction with the tides.

Mohawk River

The Mohawk River is a 149-mile-long (240 km) river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in Cohoes, New York, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy. It is a major waterway in north-central New York. The largest tributary, the Schoharie Creek, accounts for over one quarter (26.83%) of the Mohawk River's watershed. Another main tributary is the West Canada Creek, which makes up for 16.33% of the Mohawk's watershed.

Adirondack Park Part of Forest Preserve in Northeastern U.S.

The Adirondack Park is a part of New York's Forest Preserve in northeastern New York, United States. The park was established in 1892 for “the free use of all the people for their health and pleasure”, and for watershed protection. The park's boundary roughly corresponds with the Adirondack Mountains. Unlike most state parks, about 52 percent of the land is privately-owned inholdings. State lands within the park are known as Forest Preserve. Land use on public and private lands in the park is regulated by the Adirondack Park Agency. This area contains 102 towns and villages, as well as numerous farms, businesses and an active timber-harvesting industry. The year-round population is 132,000, with 200,000 seasonal residents. The inclusion of human communities makes the park one of the great experiments in conservation in the industrialized world. The Forest Preserve was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963.

Mount Marcy Mountain in New York State, USA

Mount Marcy is the highest point in New York, with an elevation of 5,344 feet (1,629 m). It is located in the Town of Keene in Essex County. The mountain is in the heart of the Adirondack High Peaks region of the High Peaks Wilderness Area. Its stature and expansive views make it a popular destination for hikers, who crowd its summit in the summer months.

Ausable River (New York)

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Farmington River River in the United States of America

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Flathead River

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Sacandaga River

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Lake Tear of the Clouds Lake in New York, USA

Lake Tear of the Clouds is a small tarn located in the town of Keene, in Essex County, New York, United States, on the southwest slope of Mount Marcy, the state's highest point, in the Adirondack Mountains. It is the highest pond in the state. It is often cited as the highest source of the Hudson River, via Feldspar Brook, the Opalescent River and Calamity Brook.

Forest Preserve (New York) Areas of New York state where state-owned lands mostly remain "forever wild"

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Esopus Creek Tributary of the Hudson River in the Catskill region of New York state

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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation New Yorks state-level environmental regulator

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is a department of New York state government. The department guides and regulates the conservation, improvement, and protection of New York's natural resources; manages Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill parks, state forest lands, and wildlife management areas; regulates sport fishing, hunting and trapping; and enforces the state's environmental laws and regulations. Its regulations are compiled in Title 6 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. It was founded in 1970, replacing the Conservation Department. and is headed by Basil Seggos.

Tahawus, New York

Tahawus was a village in the Town of Newcomb, Essex County, New York, United States. It is now a ghost town situated in the Adirondack Park. Tahawus is located in Essex County within the unpopulated northern area designated to the town of Newcomb. Tahawus was the site of major mining and iron smelting operations in the 19th century. Although standing as recently as 2005, the last mining facilities have since been demolished and removed.

Sudbury River

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High Peaks Wilderness Area

The High Peaks Wilderness Area, the largest Forest Preserve unit in the U.S. state of New York, is located in three counties and six towns in the Adirondack Park: Harrietstown in Franklin County, North Elba, Keene, North Hudson and Newcomb in Essex County and Long Lake in Hamilton County.

Crooked River (Oregon)

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Allen Mountain (New York)

Allen Mountain is located in Essex County, New York. It is part of the Marcy Group of the Great Range of the Adirondack Mountains, and is flanked to the north by Mount Skylight.

Cliff Mountain (New York)

Cliff Mountain is a mountain located in Essex County, New York. The mountain is part of the Marcy Group of the Great Range of the Adirondack Mountains. Cliff is flanked to the southeast by Mount Redfield.

Mount Redfield

Mount Redfield is a mountain located in Essex County, New York. The mountain is part of the Marcy Group of the Great Range of the Adirondack Mountains. Mount Redfield is flanked to the northwest by Cliff Mountain, and to the northeast by Mount Skylight.

Mount Marshall (New York) Mountain in United States of America

Mount Marshall is a mountain located in Essex County, New York. Originally named for Governor DeWitt Clinton, and then for Herbert Clark, it was renamed for wilderness activist Bob Marshall (1901–1939) after his death. Marshall is part of the MacIntyre Mountains. Mount Marshall is flanked to the northeast by Iroquois Peak, and faces Wallface Mountain to the northwest across Indian Pass.

References

  1. 1 2 "Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation". www.dec.ny.gov. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  2. 1 2 "Finding the Sources of the Hudson near Upper Works". Adirondack Hub. 2015-04-23. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  3. "A History of the McIntyre Mine". www.adirondack-park.net. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  4. "Governor Cuomo Announces 6,200-Acre Acquisition of Former Finch Pruyn Lands". Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. 2015-04-23. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  5. Mann, Brian; Newcomb, in; NY. "Paddling the Adirondack Park's wild Opalescent River". NCPR. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  6. "State purchase opens up Opalescent". Adirondack Explorer. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  7. "DEC proposes put-ins and take-outs along upper Hudson". Adirondack Explorer. Retrieved 2020-12-13.