Chapter 12 - The River
Upper River
Discovery: Springs, Gorges, Canyons and Fish on the Upper Mohawk
Denny Gillen
is a retired Captain of the City of Rome Fire Department. He grew up in
the West Leyden area and has lived near the upper reaches of the Mohawk
River all his life. He loves to hunt, fish and explore wild places. He
is one of the nicest guys I've ever known, and he's my brother-in-law.
All the ingredients needed for a partner to join me on numerous discovery
trips this past summer and fall.
Denny and I have explored
the source of the river on Mohawk Hill, canoed West Leyden Pond, explored
and fished the 15-mile stretch of the river from Ava to Westernville, plus
3-4 miles of the such tributaries as the West Branch and Lansing Kill.
We discovered a limestone gorge and a six-mile long "canyon". We found
the remnants of old bridges, canal locks and aqueducts. We saw wildlife
and wildflowers, marveled at monarch trees and fought our way through jungle-like
weeds. And we lost count of how many trout than we caught. Honest.
Everyone of these and many other
discovery trips will be included in the book, but for now the following
photographs of the valley from Mohawk Springs to Westernville, and
description of the upper valley will tell a story. More to come.
Mohawk Hill, north of the village of West Leyden, provides water
for three watersheds---to the north, Black River, to the west, Fish Creek,
and to the south the Mohawk River. The Mohawk starts as the outflow of
dozens of springs that create tiny rivulets, meandering and
mingling into cricks and creeks while descending the south face of the
hill ... and becoming the headwaters of one of the most famous rivers in
America.
At three miles the Mohawk slows to a creep at the
upper end of the mill pond at West Leyden. Once over the dam at the south
end of the pond, the yet tiny river passes over some five miles of cobblestone
and gravel through mostly abandoned farmland before descending into a forested
limestone gorge. After flowing four miles over ledges and waterfalls,
coursing against limestone walls and wooded hillsides, the river
meets the West Branch and turns abruptly east.
The limestone walls in the gorge below Ava
looked like the crumbling, vine covered
walls of an old castle.
The shale-walled and wooded "canyon" is six miles long and only
accessible from each end.
The Mohawk meanders eastward through a wider and deeper gorge for six miles before returning to its southerly flow at the hamlet of Hillside where it picks up the waters of the Lansing Kill. A mile and a half downstream the river skirts the village of North Western, a mile further picks up Wells Creek near Frenchville, and flows a couple more miles to Westernville and the upper end of Lake Delta.
Following the winding path of the old streambed
through the lake leads to Delta Dam, the 28-mile mark. Below the
dam the river passes by the Rome Fish Hatchery, Ridge Mills and into
the City of Rome before passing over a dam into the Erie/Barge Canal. After
flowing 35 miles in a predominantly southerly direction, the Mohawk turns
abruptly eastward at Rome and ambles down the Mohawk Valley for 112 miles.
On the Lansing Kill we discovered these abutments
to an old Black River Canal aqueduct.
The original path of the river is broken at Rome
where it passes into the Canal and runs east for three-quarters of
a mile to a narrow channel that leads to the original streambed. This area
was once one of the most famous landmarks in America---the lower landing
of the Great Carry that connected Eastern and Middle America.
During high water periods water from the canal flows
into the original streambed, but the rest of the year this cut-off section
of river receives most of its water from Wheeler Creek. The much
diminished river flows through a steel culvert and languishes some three
miles before picking up additional water from a canal crossover dam.
Denny Gillen caught this beautiful brown trout from the Mohawk River near Westernville.
Thus rejuvenated, the Mohawk follows its ancient
winding course, collecting the waters of Nine Mile Creek, Oriskany
Creek, Sauquoit Creek and some smaller tributaries as it skirts the villages
of Oriskany, Whitesboro and Yorkville before reaching the city of
Utica, 20 miles from Rome. 
In Utica the course of the river was altered long
ago to eliminate the southern loop and the ancient crossing that established
the location of the city. The river now runs straight through
north Utica, parallel to the Barge Canal. At the mouth of Utica Harbor
a lock separates the river and the canal. A mile or so downstream another
dam maintains the water level in Utica Harbor. Below the dam, the Mohawk
returns to its original meandering course, evident by huge overhanging
trees, and channels to backsets, oxbows and ponds.