Otsquago Creek

Last updated
Otsquago Creek
OtsquagoCreekRapids.jpg
Rapids on the creek by Vanhornesville
New York Adirondack.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of the mouth of Otsquago Creek
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Otsquago Creek (the United States)
Location
Country United States
State New York
Region Central New York Region
Counties Herkimer, Montgomery
Towns Stark, Minden
Physical characteristics
SourceUn-named Marshy Field
 • location Van Hornesville, New York
 • coordinates 42°54′27″N74°50′25″W / 42.9075722°N 74.84015°W / 42.9075722; -74.84015 [1]
 • elevation1,360 ft (410 m)
Mouth Mohawk River
 • location
 Fort Plain, New York
 • coordinates
 42°55′57″N74°37′04″W / 42.9325727°N 74.6176423°W / 42.9325727; -74.6176423 Coordinates: 42°55′57″N74°37′04″W / 42.9325727°N 74.6176423°W / 42.9325727; -74.6176423 [1]
 • elevation
295 ft (90 m) [1]
Length18.6 mi (29.9 km) [2]
Basin size61.3 sq mi (159 km2) [3]
Discharge 
 • location Fort Plain
 • minimum.6 cu ft/s (0.017 m3/s)
 • maximum24,600 cu ft/s (700 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • left Loyal Creek,
Otsquene Creek
 • right Otstungo Creek
Waterfalls Creamery Falls, Van Hornesville Falls

Otsquago Creek is a river that enters the Mohawk River in Fort Plain, New York. Otsquago is a Mohawk Indian word meaning 'under the bridge,' probably referring to an early bridge of felled trees along the creek, a way of making small bridges. [4] It is also referred to as Otsquage on old maps, which is an Indian word for 'healing waters'.

Contents

The source of the Otsquago Creek is about 12 miles southeast from its outlet, 1,360 feet above sea level and about 1,000 feet above the Mohawk River, in a marshy field by Van Hornesville, New York. [5] Creamery Falls and Van Hornesville Falls are two waterfalls on the creek near Van Hornesville.

History

Before European colonization, the Iroquois Indians occupied the area around the creek. Many Indian villages were built along the creek. One of these villages was called Otstungo and is located on a triangular piece of land between the Otstungo Creek and Otsquago Creek, by the mouth of Otstungo Creek. The village was only accessed from the south side due to steep cliffs on the other sides. Many stone axes, pestles, arrowheads, spears, bone implements and pipes have been excavated at this village. A large pine was cut from this location that measured nearly 7.5 feet (2.3 m) across the butt, and produced 14,000 feet (4,300 m) of lumber. The Indians referred to sulfur and iron springs near Van Hornesville as Otsquage which translates to 'healing waters', as they attributed them to having great healing and medicinal qualities. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

John Concuponk was an Oneida Indian who lived in his wigwam along the creek by Starkville with his wife Canadalacadoa. Upon his death he was buried on the hill behind his wigwam. Then Peter P. Murphy, who was the resident physician in Southville, removed Concuponk's body for his students to study. His wife soon found out what had happened, she attempted to murder the doctor. After she tried this, she was taken to the reservation in Oneida.

In 1794, Mr. VanHorne opened a store in present-day Van Hornesville. By 1800, there was a cloth fulling and finishing mill on the creek. By 1814, there was a carding mill, saw mill, fulling mill, and clover hulling mill in operation halfway between Van Hornesville and Southville. In 1836, Elias Braman and Company built a cotton mill on the creek by Van Hornseville. [12]

Watershed

The Otsquago Creek's 61.3-square-mile (159 km2) [3] watershed accounts for 1.77% of the total Mohawk River watershed. Where the creek rises, it is located in the Town of Stark and the lower half is in the Town of Minden. Within the watershed, the majority of the land is open space, with roughly one third (33.9%) being forested land. The upper part of the watershed is a mix of rural residential, agriculture land, and several small hamlets including Vanhornesville and Stark. Then in the lower part of the watershed, residential and commercial uses mostly in Village of Fort Plain. [2] [13]

The creek has an average slope of 1.5% throughout its entire length. The upper creek has a slope of 3% from the source to the Hamlet of Starkville, then from there downstream has a slope of .8%. [13]

Hydrology

Discharge

New York Army National Guard clearing debris and widening the creek in Fort Plain after the major flood of June 2013. Mohawk Valley flood relief 130705-Z-ZZ999-007.jpg
New York Army National Guard clearing debris and widening the creek in Fort Plain after the major flood of June 2013.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) maintains a stream gauge on the creek .8 miles (1.3 km) upstream from the mouth in the Village of Fort Plain. The station was in operation from October 1949 to September 1989 and then from July 2014 to now. [14] The flood in June 2013 prompted the stream gauge to be reinstalled. [15]

The station had an estimated maximum discharge of 24,600 cubic feet (700 m3) per second and an estimated gauge height of 17.52 feet (5.34 m) on during the flood of June 28, 2013. It had minimum discharge of .6 cubic feet (0.017 m3) per second on November 30, 1964. Prior to the flood of 2013, the maximum discharge was 10,400 cubic feet (290 m3) with a gauge height of 11.24 feet (3.43 m) on October 28, 1981. [14]

Flooding

Flooding has occurred numerous times on most of the creek, with major damage in the hamlets of Van Hornesville, Starkville and Hallsville, and in the Village of Fort Plain. Flooding is caused in part due to large amounts of coarse sediment being carried downstream from the upper creek during large floods are deposited further downstream and clog bridges. From the mouth to roughly 1,000 feet (300 m) upstream can be effected by backwater flooding from the Mohawk River. [2] [16] [17]

Graph from lower USGS stream gauge showing rise in discharge during February 2017 OtsquagoUSGS2017.jpg
Graph from lower USGS stream gauge showing rise in discharge during February 2017

According to FEMA on September 22, 1938, October 2, 1945, October 17, 1955 and March 11, 1976 there were major floods along the creek. On March 5, 1979, an ice jamming caused the Mohawk River and Otsquago Creek to overflow and caused extensive damage in the Village of Fort Plain. Floodwaters were reported to be four feet deep in the on River Street and Hancock Street in the village. The flooding receded after the washout of the aqueduct on the creek by State Route 5S. Another severe storm caused catastrophic flooding along the Otsquago Creek between June 26 and June 29, 2006.

Then in mid to late June 2013, severe flooding was experienced along the entire creek. The flood of 2013 flooded downtown Fort Plain and extended all the way up the creek to Van Hornesville. Police officers who were knocking on doors when the water was rising got cut off. Resients were unable to get off Abbott Street, which is a dead end road, and escaped up a small hill on the opposite side of creek. A culvert was damaged on Chyle Road and the Owen D. Young Central School was damaged in Van Hornesville. Part of State Route 80 between Van Hornesville and Starkville was entirely washed out. Large amounts of sediment were also carried downstream and deposited which caused flooding to be worse. One fatality was reported in this storm. On July 3, 2013, Senator Charles E. Schumer visited the area and called for quick action from the federal government. A mix of NYSDOT crews, a half-dozen contractors and the National Guard worked to restore the stream bed and roads. In mid July, at the restoration project's peak, there were more than 300 workers on the project. [16] [18] [19]

On February 25, 2017, at around 6:15 pm, 625 residents were told to evacuate as the flood warning siren was activated because of quickly rising waters. After a short time, around 9:30 pm, residents were told it was safe to go home. No major damage occurred during this flood, only a few trees and wires were knocked down and minor stream bank erosion occurred. [20] [17]

Fishing

Fish species present in the creek are brook trout, brown trout and rainbow trout. In 2019 there were 270 8 to 9 inches (20 to 23 cm) brown trout released into the creek in the Town of Minden, and 350 8 to 9 inches (20 to 23 cm) brown trout and 1000 8 to 9 inches (20 to 23 cm) rainbow trout in the Town of Stark. [21] [22] [23] [24]

Conservation and management

In 2015, Dominion energy proposed to expand the compressor station at Brookmans Corners, located near the banks of the creek. Concerns were brought up about the pollution that would be caused, at an estimated 96,683 tons of greenhouse gas emissions would be put into the air every year. These concerns are compounded by Otsquago Creek and the particular topography of the Otsquago valley that limits the dispersion of emissions.

The Robert B. Woodruff Outdoor Learning Center was built and opened in the summer of 1984 and consists of 50 acres (0.078 sq mi) within the Otsquago gorge. It is located at the site of an 18th century trail, which became the road between Fort Plain and Cooperstown in the 19th century. After the trails were built in 1984, it provided better access to the numerous waterfalls in the gorge as well as the limestone caves.

The Young family partnered with Otsego Land Trust to conserve about 147 acres (0.230 sq mi) bordering the creek by Van Hornesville, to protect the village's water supply. Another 40 acres (0.063 sq mi) was later donated as well to further protect the community's water supply.

See also

Related Research Articles

Fort Plain, New York Village in the United States

Fort Plain is a village in Montgomery County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 2,322. The village is named after a fort built during the American Revolution at the junction of the Mohawk River and its tributary Otsquago Creek.

Minden, New York Town in New York, United States

Minden is a town in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 4,297 at the 2010 census. The town is located at the western edge of the county and south of the Mohawk River, which forms its northern border. It has possessed a post office from 1802 to 1903.

Mohawk River River in the U.S. state of New York

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.

Otsego Lake (New York) Lake in Otsego County, New York, USA

Otsego Lake is a 4,046-acre (16.37 km2) lake located in Otsego County in the U.S. state of New York. It is the source of the Susquehanna River and largest lake in Otsego County. The Village of Cooperstown is located at the lake's southern end. Glimmerglass State Park is located on the lake's northeastern shore, and includes Hyde Hall, a large mansion constructed in 1817, that overlooks the lake. The Glimmerglass Opera, opened in June 1987, is located on the western shore.

West Branch Delaware River

The West Branch Delaware River is one of two branches that form the Delaware River. It is approximately 90 mi (144 km) long, and flows through the U.S. states of New York and Pennsylvania. It winds through a mountainous area of New York in the western Catskill Mountains for most of its course, before joining the East Branch along the northeast border of Pennsylvania with New York. Midway or so it is empounded by the Cannonsville Dam to form the Cannonsville Reservoir, both part of the New York City water supply system for delivering drinking water to the City.

Cattaraugus Creek

Cattaraugus Creek is a stream, approximately 68 miles (109 km) long, in western New York in the United States. The creek drains a wooded rural portion of western New York southwest of Buffalo into Lake Erie. In its lower course it flows primarily through the Cattaraugus Reservation of the Seneca tribe. William Beauchamp identifies the name Cattaraugus as deriving from the Seneca word Gah-ta-ra-ke-ras, meaning "stinking shore" or "foul-smelling river bank." This in turn is likely a loanword from an extinct Attiwandiron, Erie, Wenro, or Wendat (Huron) language, combining the verb root -i'tar-, referring to clay or mud, and -akera(n)-, describing a bad or strong odor: hence, tke'tarakeras, place of strong-smelling mud or clay. This name is a result of the natural gas that oozes from the river mud.

Oatka Creek Tributary of Genesee River in U.S. state of New York

Oatka Creek is the third longest tributary of the Genesee River, located entirely in the Western New York region of the U.S. state of New York. From southern Wyoming County, it flows 58 miles (93 km) to the Genesee near Scottsville, draining an area of 215 square miles (560 km2) that includes all or part of 23 towns and villages in Wyoming, Genesee, Livingston and Monroe counties as well. Its name means "leaving the highlands" or "approaching an opening" in Seneca.

Canadarago Lake Lake in Otsego County, New York, U.S.

Canadarago Lake is a 1,917-acre (7.76 km2) lake located in Otsego County, New York and is the source of Oaks Creek. The Village of Richfield Springs is located at the lake's northern end. It is the second largest lake in Otsego County, lying to the west of and parallel to the larger Otsego Lake. The lake's name is also spelled "Candajarago Lake" or "Caniadaraga Lake".

Schoharie Creek

Schoharie Creek is a river in New York that flows north 93 miles (150 km) from the foot of Indian Head Mountain in the Catskills through the Schoharie Valley to the Mohawk River. It is twice impounded north of Prattsville to create New York City's Schoharie Reservoir and the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project.

West Canada Creek

The West Canada Creek is a 76-mile-long (122 km) river in upstate New York, United States. West Canada Creek is an important water way in Hamilton, Oneida, and Herkimer counties, draining the south part of the Adirondack Mountains before emptying into the Mohawk River near the Village of Herkimer. The name "Canada" is derived from an Iroquoian word for "village" (Kanata).

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

Esopus Creek is a 65.4-mile-long (105.3 km) tributary of the Hudson River that drains the east-central Catskill Mountains in the U.S. state of New York. From its source at Winnisook Lake on the slopes of Slide Mountain, the Catskills' highest peak, it flows across Ulster County to the Hudson at Saugerties. Many tributaries extend its watershed into neighboring Greene County and a small portion of Delaware County. Midway along its length, it is impounded at Olive Bridge to create Ashokan Reservoir, the first of several built in the Catskills as part of New York City's water supply system. Its own flow is supplemented 13 miles (21 km) above the reservoir by the Shandaken Tunnel, which carries water from the city's Schoharie Reservoir into the creek.

Sauquoit Creek River in the United States of America

Sauquoit Creek is a 17.0-mile-long (27.4 km) river in New York, United States. It lies within the southern part of Oneida County. The creek flows eastward, then turns sharply and flows generally northward through the Sauquoit Valley to the Mohawk River, entering the river on the east side of Whitesboro. It is therefore part of the Hudson River watershed.

Butternut Creek (Limestone Creek tributary)

Butternut Creek is a stream in the greater Syracuse, New York area and a tributary of Limestone Creek, part of the Oneida Lake watershed. The creek is about 16 miles (26 km) long.

Oaks Creek

Oaks Creek is a river that drains Canadarago Lake, which is situated in the north central region of Otsego County, New York. The creek begins by the Hamlet of Schuyler Lake and flows southeast approximately 9.32 miles (15.00 km), dropping only 105 feet (32 m) in elevation, before converging with the Susquehanna River south of the Village of Cooperstown, by the Hamlet of Index. From the source to Oaksville the creek flows along Panther Mountain. Fly Creek is a main tributary, that converges with Oaks Creek south of the Hamlet of Fly Creek.

Canajoharie Creek Watercourse in the United States of America

The Canajoharie Creek is a river that flows into the Mohawk River in the Village of Canajoharie in the U.S. State of New York. The name "Canajoharie" is a Mohawk language term meaning "the pot that washes itself", referring to the "Canajoharie Boiling Pot", a 20-foot (6.1 m) wide and 10-foot (3.0 m) deep pothole in the Canajoharie Creek, just south of the village of Canajoharie. Bowmans Creek is one main tributary that enters the creek east of the Hamlet of Sprout Brook. The other main tributary is Brimstone Creek which enters the creek north-northwest of the Village of Ames.

Fulmer Creek Tributary of the Mohawk River

Fulmer Creek is an 11.5-mile-long (18.5 km) river that flows into the Mohawk River in Mohawk, New York. The creek derives its name from the "Fulmer" family, who bought land through the Burnetsfield patent of 1725, in which lands on the present village site were granted out.

Steele Creek (Mohawk River tributary)

Steele Creek is a river in Herkimer County in the state of New York. The creek begins in an unnamed swamp south of Cedarville, and flows in a northeast direction before emptying into the Mohawk River in the village of Ilion. Steele Creek travels through the Ilion Gorge and alongside NY-51 for most of its length. Steele Creek derives its name from Rudolph Stahl, who built the first grist mill in Ilion along the creek.

East Kill

East Kill, a 16-mile-long (26 km) tributary of Schoharie Creek, flows across the town of Jewett, New York, United States, from its source on Stoppel Point. Ultimately its waters reach the Hudson River via the Mohawk. Since it drains into the Schoharie upstream of Schoharie Reservoir, it is part of the New York City water supply system. East Kill drains the southern slopes of the Blackhead Mountains, which include Thomas Cole Mountain, Black Dome, and Blackhead Mountain, the fourth-, third-, and fifth-highest peaks in the Catskills, respectively.

Batavia Kill (Schoharie Creek tributary)

Batavia Kill is a 21-mile-long (34 km) tributary of Schoharie Creek, that flows across the towns of Windham, Ashland and Prattsville in the U.S. state of New York. Its waters reach the Hudson River via Schoharie Creek and the Mohawk River. Since it drains into the Schoharie upstream of Schoharie Reservoir, it is part of the New York City water supply system. From the source to Maplecrest, Batavia Kill drains the northern slopes of the Blackhead Mountains, which include Thomas Cole Mountain, Black Dome, and Blackhead Mountain, the fourth-, third-, and fifth-highest peaks in the Catskills, respectively.

Little Delaware River

Little Delaware River is a river in Delaware County, New York. It begins along the western slope of Plattekill Mountain, northeast of the Hamlet of Bovina and flows generally westward before converging with the West Branch Delaware River by the Village of Delhi.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Otsquago Creek". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey . Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "emergency transportation infrastructure recovery water basin assessment and flood hazard mitigation alternatives otsquago creek - New York State Water Resources Institute". wri.cals.cornell.edu. New Paltz, NY: Malone and MacBroom Inc. April 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "USGS 0134900105 OTSQUAGO CREEK AT MOUTH AT FORT PLAIN NY". National Water Information System. United States Geological Survey. 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Otsquago Creek". nygenweb.net. nygenweb.net. 1999. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  5. ↑ knox, charles (1980). "Mohawk Turnpike Book". nygenweb.net. nygenweb.net. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "The Town of Stark". herkimer.nygenweb.net. herkimer.nygenweb.net. February 11, 1905. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  7. ↑ "Otsquago State Forest". dec.ny.gov. dec.ny.gov. 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  8. ↑ "three rivers". threerivershms.com. threerivershms.com. 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  9. ↑ "Chapter 6: Chief Castles and Towns of the Mohawks". schenectadyhistory.org. schenectadyhistory.org. 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  10. ↑ "Chapter 7: Mohawk Indian Sites about Fort Plain, by Douglas Ayres, Jr". schenectadyhistory.org. schenectadyhistory.org. 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  11. ↑ Bulletin, Volume 7, Issues 32-34. University of the State of New York. February 1900. p.  182 . Retrieved 6 June 2019– via Internet Archive.
  12. ↑ "The Story of Old Fort Plain and the Middle Mohawk Valley". threerivershms.com. threerivershms.com. 1915. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  13. 1 2 "Mohawk/Canajoharie Creek Watershed - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation". dec.ny.gov. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  14. 1 2 "USGS 01349000 OTSQUAGO CREEK AT FORT PLAIN NY". waterdata.usgs.gov. United States Geological Survey. May 21, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  15. ↑ Munger Jr., Edward (January 19, 2014). "Feds to increase funding for stream gauges; more sought in upstate N.Y." dailygazette.com. The Daily Gazette. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  16. 1 2 Munger Jr., Edward (July 3, 2013). "FLOOD: Water level set record in Fort Plain flooding". dailygazette.com. The Daily Gazette. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  17. 1 2 Thomas, Joshua (February 27, 2017). "Storm causes Otsquago Creek to rise, state of emergency declared". recordernews.com. The Recorder News. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  18. ↑ Fitzgerald, Bryan (August 18, 2013). "Piecing it all back together". www.timesunion.com. Times Union. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Friday June 28, 2013 Severe Mohawk Valley Flash Flood Event (Fort Plain)". slapointewx.com. slapointewx.com. June 28, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  20. ↑ Fusaro, Nick (February 25, 2017). "Residents in Fort Plain let back into their homes after flooding". www.news10.com. www.news10.com. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  21. ↑ "Spring 2019 Trout Stocking for Montgomery County". www.dec.ny.gov. Albany, NY: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  22. ↑ "Trout Fishing in Region 6". www.dec.ny.gov. Albany, NY: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  23. ↑ Noonan, Ed (March 26, 2015). "DEC to stock trout statewide". dailygazette.com. Schenectady, NY: The Daily Gazette. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  24. ↑ "Spring 2019 Trout Stocking for Herkimer County". www.dec.ny.gov. Albany, NY: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.