Saranac River

Saranac River
Riviere Serindac
The Saranac River flowing northeast from Saranac Lake, New York
Saranac River is located in New York Adirondack Park
Saranac River
Location of the mouth of the Saranac River
Saranac River is located in the United States
Saranac River
Saranac River (the United States)
Etymologyfrom Abenaki, "staghorn sumac cone river."[1]
Native name
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
RegionAdirondack Mountains
CountiesClinton, Essex, Franklin
Physical characteristics
SourceUpper Saranac Lake
 • locationEast of Wawbeek
 • coordinates44°15′53″N 74°14′36″W / 44.26472°N 74.24333°W / 44.26472; -74.24333[2]
 • elevation1,572 ft (479 m)
MouthLake Champlain
 • location
City of Plattsburgh
 • coordinates
44°41′59″N 73°26′45″W / 44.69972°N 73.44583°W / 44.69972; -73.44583
 • elevation
95 ft (29 m)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftNorth Branch Saranac River

The Saranac River is an 81-mile-long (130 km)[3] river in the U.S. state of New York.

Geography

In its upper reaches is a region of mostly flat water and lakes. The river has more than three dozen source lakes and ponds north of Upper Saranac Lake; the highest is Mountain Pond on Long Pond Mountain. In the last third of its length it drops two-thirds of its total drop, and is known for having navigable rapids, which make it a popular site for whitewater kayaking and canoeing.[4]

The Saranac River empties into Lake Champlain at the City of Plattsburgh in Clinton County, New York. The river flows in a northeasterly direction from the Adirondack Mountains.[5]

The river encompasses Upper, Middle and Lower Saranac Lakes, as well as Oseetah Lake, Lake Flower, Franklin Falls Pond and Union Falls Pond, and flows through the village of Saranac Lake; there are locks between Middle and Lower Saranac Lakes and between Lower Saranac and Oseetah, although the drop is only a few feet. Thirty-three miles further northeast, the river flows through the Town of Saranac, before winding through Plattsburgh, reaching Lake Champlain after a further 23 miles.

Origin of name

The name of the river is from the Abenaki word zalônák:tégw, composed of the free noun root zalôn, meaning "staghorn sumac cone"; -ak, the Abenaki plural suffix for nouns of the animate noun class; and the bound noun root (i.e., suffix) -tégw, meaning "river."[1] Other names for the river are Riviere Saint Amant, Riviere Saint Arnont, Riviere Salasanac, Sal-a-sa-nac and Salasance.[2]

Fishery

The Saranac River has a fairly diverse fishery, including northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, rock bass, pumpkinseed, fallfish, brown bullhead, brown trout, and landlocked atlantic salmon.

Tourist attractions

The river is also part of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail, which begins in Old Forge, NY and ends in Fort Kent, ME.

See also

Scenes from the Saranac River
  • Permanent Rapids on the Saranac River, Adirondack Mountains, New York State, USA
    Permanent Rapids on the Saranac River, Adirondack Mountains, New York State, USA
  • Franklin Falls in the Spring
    Franklin Falls in the Spring
  • A small island in Middle Saranac Lake, Stony Creek Mountain behind
    A small island in Middle Saranac Lake, Stony Creek Mountain behind
  • The river passes through Saranac Lake
    The river passes through Saranac Lake
  • The Saranac River in Clinton County, NY
    The Saranac River in Clinton County, NY
  • Saranac River near Redford, NY
    Saranac River near Redford, NY

References

  1. ^ a b Day, pp. 248-249.
  2. ^ a b "Saranac River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2019-01-08.
  3. ^ "The National Map". U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved Feb 11, 2011.
  4. ^ Jamieson, Paul and Morris, Donald, Adirondack Canoe Waters, North Flow, Lake George, NY: Adirondack Mountain Club, 1987. ISBN 0-935272-43-7.
  5. ^ Day, Gordon M. "Abenaki Place Names in the Champlain Valley." In Foster, Michael K. and Cowan, William, eds., In Search of New England's Native Past: Selected Essays by Gordon M. Day, pp. 229–262, Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 1998. ISBN 1-558491-50-3.