Tioughnioga River
Encyclopedia
The Tioughnioga River is a 34.2 miles (55 km) tributary
of the Chenango River
in central New York
in the United States
. It drains a dissected plateau
area east of the Finger Lakes
at the northernmost edge of the watershed of the Susquehanna River
.
The name comes from the Native American, Ti-ough'-ni'-o-ga, meaning "forks of the river or meeting of waters". The river was also called "Tiohujodha" by the Moravians
. At one time it was called the Onondaga, as leading to that town, and Teyoghagoga was another early form.
It rises in two branches in upstate New York southeast of Syracuse
, with the East Branch sometimes regarded as the main branch. The West Branch, 15.6 miles (25.1 km) long, issues from Tully Lake
, approximately 2 miles (3 km) south of Tully
on the Onondaga
-Cortland
county line, and flows south.
The Tully Valley is a preglacial
valley of a northward flowing river that flowed into the Ontarian River
(preglacial Lake Ontario
). Near Tully, during the glacial retreat, the valley was dammed by ice to form a lake. For a period of time the retreating of the front by melting matched the forward movement of the glacier, so that the captured rock
, gravel
and sand
was deposited into the lake. This huge quantity of material approximately half filled the valley, and reversed the flow direction to the southward. It left enormous quantities of gravel from Tully to Cortland, some of which was used as building material for Interstate 81
. The gravel also forms a major aquifer for the area. Tully Lake is a glacial kettle, being formed by a large chunk of ice that was buried in the glacial debris. As the ice melted the land collapsed, causing a lake to form.
The East (main) Branch, 21.4 miles (34.4 km) long, rises in northeastern Cortland County
at the confluence of Tioughnioga Creek and the West Branch Tioughnioga Creek. The East Branch flows southwest, receiving the West Branch at Cortland
.
The Tioughnioga River then flows south-southeast, receiving the Otselic River
from the northeast at Whitney Point
. It joins the Chenango from the northwest at Chenango Forks
, approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) northeast of Binghamton
.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Chenango River
Chenango River
The Chenango River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in central New York in the United States. It drains a dissected plateau area in upstate New York at the northern end of the Susquehanna watershed....
in central 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...
. It drains a dissected plateau
Dissected plateau
A dissected plateau is a plateau area that has been severely eroded so that the relief is sharp. Such an area may be referred to as mountainous, but dissected plateaus are distinguishable from orogenic mountain belts by the lack of folding, metamorphism, extensive faulting, or magmatic activity...
area east of the Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes are a pattern of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York in the United States. They are a popular tourist destination. The lakes are long and thin , each oriented roughly on a north-south axis. The two longest, Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake, are among the deepest in...
at the northernmost edge of the watershed of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
.
The name comes from the Native American, Ti-ough'-ni'-o-ga, meaning "forks of the river or meeting of waters". The river was also called "Tiohujodha" by the Moravians
Moravians (ethnic group)
Moravians are the modern West Slavic inhabitants of the historical land of Moravia, the easternmost part of the Czech Republic, which includes the Moravian Slovakia. They speak the two main groups of Moravian dialects , the transitional Bohemian-Moravian dialect subgroup and standard Czech...
. At one time it was called the Onondaga, as leading to that town, and Teyoghagoga was another early form.
It rises in two branches in upstate New York southeast of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, with the East Branch sometimes regarded as the main branch. The West Branch, 15.6 miles (25.1 km) long, issues from Tully Lake
Tully (town), New York
Tully is a town in Onondaga County, New York, USA. The population of the town was 2,709 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is derived from the Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero. The town is on the county's south border, south of Syracuse....
, approximately 2 miles (3 km) south of Tully
Tully (village), New York
Tully is a village in Onondaga County, New York, USA. The population was 924 at the 2000 census. The name of the village is derived from the Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero....
on the Onondaga
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
-Cortland
Cortland County, New York
Cortland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, named after Federico Van Cortlandt, president of the convention at Kingston that wrote the first New York State Constitution in 1777, and first lieutenant governor of the state. The county seat is Cortland...
county line, and flows south.
The Tully Valley is a preglacial
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
valley of a northward flowing river that flowed into the Ontarian River
Ontarian River
The Ontarian River is the term used for the pre-glacial river that began the creation of the valley in Silurian age shales and limestones now occupied by Lake Ontario. The valley was greatly deepened by glacial action during the Ice age....
(preglacial Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
). Near Tully, during the glacial retreat, the valley was dammed by ice to form a lake. For a period of time the retreating of the front by melting matched the forward movement of the glacier, so that the captured rock
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
, gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
and sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
was deposited into the lake. This huge quantity of material approximately half filled the valley, and reversed the flow direction to the southward. It left enormous quantities of gravel from Tully to Cortland, some of which was used as building material for Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
. The gravel also forms a major aquifer for the area. Tully Lake is a glacial kettle, being formed by a large chunk of ice that was buried in the glacial debris. As the ice melted the land collapsed, causing a lake to form.
The East (main) Branch, 21.4 miles (34.4 km) long, rises in northeastern Cortland County
Cortland County, New York
Cortland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, named after Federico Van Cortlandt, president of the convention at Kingston that wrote the first New York State Constitution in 1777, and first lieutenant governor of the state. The county seat is Cortland...
at the confluence of Tioughnioga Creek and the West Branch Tioughnioga Creek. The East Branch flows southwest, receiving the West Branch at Cortland
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
.
The Tioughnioga River then flows south-southeast, receiving the Otselic River
Otselic River
The Otselic River is a tributary of the Tioughnioga River in central New York in the United States. It drains a mountainous area, mostly forested and agricultural, east of the Finger Lakes at the northern edge of the Susquehanna River watershed....
from the northeast at Whitney Point
Whitney Point, New York
Whitney Point is a village in Broome County, New York, United States. The population was 965 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Binghamton Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. It joins the Chenango from the northwest at Chenango Forks
Chenango Forks, New York
Chenango Forks is a hamlet located in Broome County, New York in the United States. The community is partly in the Town of Chenango and partly in the Town of Barker....
, approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) northeast of Binghamton
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
.
Tributaries
- Halfway Brook
- Whitney Point Lake
- Jennings Creek
- Trout Brook
- West Branch Tioughnioga River
- Factory Brook
- East Branch Tioughnioga River
- Cheningo Creek
- Fabius Brook
- Carpenter Creek
- West Branch Tioughnioga Creek
- Tioughnioga Creek
- Middle Branch Tioughnioga Creek
- East Branch Tioughnioga Creek