Chapter 12 - Tributuaries
West Canada Creek
Make no mistake West Canada Creek is a RIVER. It's
longer, wider and drains more watershed than most New York rivers. It is
the major tributary of the Mohawk, and for many years was considered the
source of that river.
From its source-lakes in the southern Adirondacks
to its mouth in the Mohawk Valley, the West Canada flows 76 miles through
some of the most spectacular country in New York State. For some 25 miles
it courses down a forested mountain valley passing through Second Stillwater,
over Mitchell Dam on to First Stillwater and over Swanson Dam; before picking
up the waters of Indian River, Metcalf Brook, Honnedaga Outlet, Seabury
Brook and Big Brook . . . and flowing over the Flat Rock Potholes.
water and helps create downstream brown trout water.
At the foot of Fort Noble Mountain it meets it's
first major tributary, the South Branch. Together these mountain-bred rivers
flow southwest through the Adirondack Foothills where they plummet over
Wilmurt Falls, squeeze through Ohio Gorge and flow on to Hinckley Reservoir,
picking up the waters of Mill Creek, Fourmile Brook and Mad Tom Brook along
the way.
At the lower end of the reservoir another major
tributary, Black Creek joins the West Canada to confront its first significant
obstacle, the almost 90-year Hinckley Dam. At this 43-mile mark the river
enters the 2-mile long Prospect Pond, where it's diverted through a canal
to a power generating plant, or exits Prospect Dam and plummets over Prospect
Falls. At the Village of Prospect, the West Canada makes an abrupt left
hand turn and descends into Trenton Gorge.
A few miles downstream the river meets another obstacle; the 100-year old
Trenton Falls Power Dam. From here it takes two routes for a mile or so;
one through giant pipes to the Trenton Falls Generating Plant; the other
over some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the northeast. The Mohawks
called these falls and the river "Kauy-a-hoo-ra".
While a couple of the once-famous Trenton Falls
are under water behind the power dam, the rest are as beautiful as ever.
The gorge ends at the Erie Canal Feeder Dam in Trenton Falls Village where
the river gushes under a bridge and into the lower valley at its 47-mile
mark.
Here the river changes dramatically, flowing over
a short rapids and on to some 10 miles of meandering water through farm
country and streamside forest. A third major tributary enters the
river 2.5 miles below Trenton Falls Village, adding the waters of Cincinnati
and Steuben creeks. From here on long stretches of the river run close
to Route 28.
Mill Creek, Beecher Brook and, at the Village of
Poland, Cold Brook add to the flow. Just below Poland, Terry Brook enters
just upstream from a sharp bend of stillwater that marks another dramatic
change in the river. This deceiving stretch of stillwater ends with the
beginning of over a mile of rapids that run over dolostone shelves and
around Adirondack boulders. Fast water continues for another mile and a
half to the upper end of the pond at Newport.
Below the Newport dam, bridge and power
plant, the river speeds up again as it winds from riffle, to run, to pool,
past islands, picking up the waters of Shed Brook, White Creek and
Old City Brook before passing Fishing Rock and entering the Village of
Middleville. Here at its 66-mile mark Maltanner Brook enters the river.
For the last 10 miles the West Canada rushes through
rapids, riffles and runs; over rocks around mid-stream boulders; picking
up the waters of Stony Creek, North Creek and a number of smaller streams.
Two miles from its destination, a power dam temporarily slows the river.
A mile or so downstream a small, long-abandoned powerhouse dam, barely
alters the river's progress as it flows under the bridges at Herkimer and
meets the
Mohawk River.
Discovery Trips on West Canada Creek
| Discovery: Royal Water - Part One | Discovery: When it Rains it Pours - Part Two |
| Discovery: Russia Flatts - Part Three | Discovery: What's Not to Like - Part Four |
| Wrapping it Up on West Canada Creek |
I started discovering the West Canada some 40 years ago when I fished and canoed its waters and wrote about my experiences in several magazine articles, and later in such books as Canoe-Fishing New York Rivers and Streams, Guide to Fishing West Canada Creek and Its Tributaries, and Kuyahoora-Discovering West Canada Valley. For additional information about fishing and canoeing please refer to those publications.
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