Peconic River
Encyclopedia
The Peconic River is a river
in Long Island
's Suffolk County
, New York
in the United States
. The river is located in the eastern end of Long Island
. The Peconic River drains an area between the Harbor Hill and Ronkonkoma moraine
s, and flows into Flanders Bay which in turn connects to Peconic Bay
east of Riverhead.
The river originates in bog
s and wetland
s in central Long Island near the Brookhaven National Laboratory
and flows eastward to the Peconic Bay. It is the longest river on Long Island and is almost entirely within the Central Long Island Pine Barrens which was set up in 1993 to protect its relative wilderness standing.
It is fresh water until about the center of Riverhead where it becomes an estuary
.
The river is slow-moving, making it ideal for canoeists.
It forms the border between Brookhaven and Riverhead towns as well as the border between Riverhead and Southampton (town), New York
.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
's Suffolk County
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The river is located in the eastern end of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. The Peconic River drains an area between the Harbor Hill and Ronkonkoma moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
s, and flows into Flanders Bay which in turn connects to Peconic Bay
Peconic Bay
The Peconic Bay is the parent name for two bays between the North Fork and South Fork of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It is separated from Gardiners Bay by Shelter Island....
east of Riverhead.
The river originates in bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s and wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s in central Long Island near the Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory , is a United States national laboratory located in Upton, New York on Long Island, and was formally established in 1947 at the site of Camp Upton, a former U.S. Army base...
and flows eastward to the Peconic Bay. It is the longest river on Long Island and is almost entirely within the Central Long Island Pine Barrens which was set up in 1993 to protect its relative wilderness standing.
It is fresh water until about the center of Riverhead where it becomes an estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
.
The river is slow-moving, making it ideal for canoeists.
It forms the border between Brookhaven and Riverhead towns as well as the border between Riverhead and Southampton (town), New York
Southampton (town), New York
The Town of Southampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, U.S., partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town had a total population of 54,712...
.
List of crossings of the Peconic River
- Wading River-Center Moriches Road(former Suffolk CR 25)
- David Terry Street
- Connecticut Avenue
- Main Line of the Long Island Rail RoadMain Line (Long Island Rail Road)The Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. It begins in Long Island City and runs along the middle of Long Island about 95 miles to Greenport...
- Edwards Avenue
- Long Island ExpresswayInterstate 495 (New York)Interstate 495 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway on Long Island in New York in the United States. The route extends for from the western portal of the Queens-Midtown Tunnel in the New York City borough of Manhattan to County Route 58 in Riverhead, Suffolk County...
- Forge Road
- Un-named dead end street to LIPA Sub-station from NY 25
- Suffolk CR 94A
- Peconic Avenue(former NY 24New York State Route 24New York State Route 24 is an east–west state highway on Long Island in New York in the United States. The route is split into two segments, with the longest and westernmost of the two extending from Interstate 295 and NY 25 in the Queens Village section of the New York City...
-113New York State Route 113New York State Route 113 is an east–west state highway located southeast of the city of Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The western terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 9 in the town of Poughkeepsie. Its eastern terminus is at NY 376 in the Poughkeepsie...
overlap) - Suffolk CR 105County Route 105 (Suffolk County, New York)Suffolk County Route 105 is a major county road in Suffolk County, New York. It is four-lane mostly divided highway that runs from Suffolk County Road 104 to Sound Avenue in Northville, west of the western terminus of Suffolk County Road 48 in Mattituck....