Sprouts of the Mohawk River
Encyclopedia
The Sprouts of the Mohawk River are the multiple channels of the Mohawk River
as it flows into the Hudson River
creating a delta
in the US state of New York
. Most of the sprouts lie within Albany County
, with the northern ones in Saratoga County
, and the sprouts enter the Hudson at the boundary with Rensselaer County
. The islands formed by the sprouts are, from north to south–Peebles Island
, Polrump Island, Bock Island, Goat Island, Second Island, Van Schaick Island
, Simmons Island. and formerly Green Island
. The sprout separating Green Island from the rest of Albany County was filled in with the creation of Interstate 787
and NY Route 787.
's crew may have reached as far as the sprouts in 1609 when Hudson sent a small boat with his first mate and four crew members from Half Moon up the Hudson River to see if the river was indeed the Northwest Passage
. The islands and sprouts (spuyten in Dutch) along with land along the northern shore of the northern sprouts was part of a tract of land deeded to Philip Pieterse Schuyler and Gozen Gerritse Van Schaick in 1665. The Native Americans called the area Nach-te-Nack, and by the Dutch settlers Halve-Maen (translated as Halfmoon in English). In 1674 Schuyler gave up his rights to the land to Van Schaick, and in 1687 Van Schaick's son Anthony Van Schaick was confirmed sole owner through patent title by Governor
Thomas Dongan
.
Portions of the sprouts were very shallow, 2 foot (0.6096 m) or less, and allowed for easy fording of the river. Waterford received its name from the ford connecting the village to Peebles Island, a name which became popular through use by soldiers in the US Revolutionary War. The fords connecting the islands were used by the local Native Americans, the Mohicans and by the Dutch and English at Fort Orange
and Albany en route to Montreal
and Canada, being used by soldiers in the French and Indian Wars
. During the US Revolutionary War the islands were the site of military fortifications protecting the fords
and river road leading to Albany
from invasion forces coming from Canada
. Numerous fortifications were constructed on Peebles and Van Schaick Island, with the Van Schaick House
being the military headquarters.
The Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad
(incorporated 1832) crossed onto Green Island from Troy
over the Hudson River and then traveled north over three of the sprouts, crossing into Saratoga County.
In 1828 the King's Power Canal was constructed with two dams thrown across the Fourth Branch, between Waterford and Bock Island and then between Bock and Peebles.
The state dam at Cohoes, located where the sprouts exit from the main channel of the Mohawk River, was rebuilt 12 feet (3.7 m) east (downstream) of the old dam in 1868. Both the original and the new dam were for the original path of the Champlain Canal
, allowing the canal boats to cross the Mohawk River to the canal channel on the other side in place of using an aquaduct bridge over the river. The original dam was too low and boats often went over the edge, the newer dam being 15 inch taller was to cut down on that problem.
in 1833. The name Fourth Branch is still used in reference to the hydroelectric power plant located in the town of Waterford
. The center of the Third Branch is the political boundary between Saratoga and Albany counties while the Second Branch is the boundary between the city of Cohoes and the town/village of Green Island.
headquarters is located on the island. There is a public fishing site on the northern end of Simmons Island, and Peebles Island has shoreline fishing spots and areas where the river can be safely waded in. All fishing in the sprouts is catch and release due to the presence of PCB. A former railroad bridge over the Second Branch, variously referred to as the Black, Delaware, or Cohoes–Green Island bridge was renovated as part of a bike/hike trail connecting the cities and villages of Watervliet, Green Island, Cohoes, and Waterford. A visitor's center with public docks are on the northern shore of the Fourth Branch in the village of Waterford
.
There are designated swimming areas and there are individuals who enjoy river surfing
.
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
as it flows into the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
creating a delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
in the US state of 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...
. Most of the sprouts lie within Albany County
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
, with the northern ones in Saratoga County
Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
, and the sprouts enter the Hudson at the boundary with Rensselaer County
Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...
. The islands formed by the sprouts are, from north to south–Peebles Island
Peebles Island State Park
Peebles Island State Park is a park located in New York State at the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. With 191 acres , the park includes hiking and cross-country ski trails, as well as earthworks dating from the Revolutionary War and a Visitors' Center detailing the island's industrial...
, Polrump Island, Bock Island, Goat Island, Second Island, Van Schaick Island
Van Schaick Island
Van Schaick Island is an island in the city of Cohoes, New York. Van Schaick is a part of the delta of the Mohawk River at its mouth with the Hudson River. The island has been referred to by numerous names including Quehemesicos, Long, Anthony's, Isle of Cohoes, and Cohoes Island...
, Simmons Island. and formerly Green Island
Green Island, New York
Green Island is a coterminous town and village in Albany County, New York, USA some 8 miles north of Albany, New York. Green Island is one of only five such town-village amalgams in New York. The population was 2,620 at the 2010 census...
. The sprout separating Green Island from the rest of Albany County was filled in with the creation of Interstate 787
Interstate 787
Interstate 787 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of New York. I-787 is the main highway for those traveling into and out of downtown Albany. The southern terminus is at the Interstate 87/New York State Thruway exit 23 toll plaza southwest of downtown Albany...
and NY Route 787.
History
Henry HudsonHenry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle...
's crew may have reached as far as the sprouts in 1609 when Hudson sent a small boat with his first mate and four crew members from Half Moon up the Hudson River to see if the river was indeed the Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
. The islands and sprouts (spuyten in Dutch) along with land along the northern shore of the northern sprouts was part of a tract of land deeded to Philip Pieterse Schuyler and Gozen Gerritse Van Schaick in 1665. The Native Americans called the area Nach-te-Nack, and by the Dutch settlers Halve-Maen (translated as Halfmoon in English). In 1674 Schuyler gave up his rights to the land to Van Schaick, and in 1687 Van Schaick's son Anthony Van Schaick was confirmed sole owner through patent title by Governor
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
Thomas Dongan
Thomas Dongan, 2nd Earl of Limerick
Thomas Donegan, 2nd Earl of Limerick was a member of Irish Parliament, Royalist military officer during the English Civil War, and governor of the Province of New York...
.
Portions of the sprouts were very shallow, 2 foot (0.6096 m) or less, and allowed for easy fording of the river. Waterford received its name from the ford connecting the village to Peebles Island, a name which became popular through use by soldiers in the US Revolutionary War. The fords connecting the islands were used by the local Native Americans, the Mohicans and by the Dutch and English at Fort Orange
Fort Orange
Fort Orange was the first permanent Dutch settlement in New Netherland and was on the site of the present-day city of Albany, New York. It was a replacement for Fort Nassau, which had been built on nearby Castle Island in the Hudson River, and which served as a trading post until 1617 or 1618,...
and Albany en route to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Canada, being used by soldiers in the French and Indian Wars
French and Indian Wars
The French and Indian Wars is a name used in the United States for a series of conflicts lasting 74 years in North America that represented colonial events related to the European dynastic wars...
. During the US Revolutionary War the islands were the site of military fortifications protecting the fords
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
and river road leading to Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
from invasion forces coming from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Numerous fortifications were constructed on Peebles and Van Schaick Island, with the Van Schaick House
Van Schaick House
Van Schaick House is a historic home located on Van Schaick Island at Cohoes in Albany County, New York. It was built about 1735 and is a -story, brick dwelling with a gambrel roof...
being the military headquarters.
The Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad
Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad
The Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad was chartered on April 14, 1832. It completed between Troy and Ballston Spa on March 19, 1836. The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company leased the line on May 1, 1871, and it was consolidated into the Delaware and Hudson Railroad effective January 30, 1945....
(incorporated 1832) crossed onto Green Island from Troy
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
over the Hudson River and then traveled north over three of the sprouts, crossing into Saratoga County.
In 1828 the King's Power Canal was constructed with two dams thrown across the Fourth Branch, between Waterford and Bock Island and then between Bock and Peebles.
The state dam at Cohoes, located where the sprouts exit from the main channel of the Mohawk River, was rebuilt 12 feet (3.7 m) east (downstream) of the old dam in 1868. Both the original and the new dam were for the original path of the Champlain Canal
Champlain Canal
The Champlain Canal is a canal that connects the south end of Lake Champlain to the Hudson River in New York. It was simultaneously constructed with the Erie Canal and is now part of the New York State Canal System and the Lakes to Locks Passage....
, allowing the canal boats to cross the Mohawk River to the canal channel on the other side in place of using an aquaduct bridge over the river. The original dam was too low and boats often went over the edge, the newer dam being 15 inch taller was to cut down on that problem.
Sprouts
Throughout the years the individual sprouts have been given different names. From north to south the sprouts are the–Fourth Branch, dividing Peebles Island from the mainland of Saratoga County; the Third Branch, separating Peebles from Van Schaick; the First Branch separating Van Schaick and Green islands from the mainland of Albany County; and the Second Branch, separating Van Schaick from Green Island. The Fourth Branch is also known as the North Sprout; and the Third Branch as the Middle Branch, which is the location of a rapids called Buttermilk Falls. The Middle Branch or sprout was also referred to as the White Sprout by the New York State AssemblyNew York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
in 1833. The name Fourth Branch is still used in reference to the hydroelectric power plant located in the town of Waterford
Waterford (town), New York
Waterford is a town in Saratoga County, New York, USA. The population was 8,515 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is derived from its principal village, also called Waterford. The town and village are in the southeast corner of Saratoga County, and north-northwest of Troy, New York.-...
. The center of the Third Branch is the political boundary between Saratoga and Albany counties while the Second Branch is the boundary between the city of Cohoes and the town/village of Green Island.
Islands
- Green Island–Prior to being striped of its status as an island, Green Island was the largest of the islands formed by the sprouts. Green Island was separated from Watervliet, Colonie and Cohoes mainlands by the First Branch and from Van Schaick Island by the Second Branch, with the Hudson River separating the island from Troy. The island is a part of the village and town of the same name.
- Van Schaick Island–A large and heavily populated island with the historic Van Schaick House, a country club, the historic Matton ShipyardMatton ShipyardMatton Shipyard is a historic shipyard and canal boat service yard located on Van Schaick Island at Cohoes in Albany County, New York. It consists of eight extant buildings, various surviving features, and archaeological remains dating to the period 1916 to 1983 when the site functioned as a...
, marinas, an elementary school. The island is separated from the mainland of Cohoes and Simmons Island by the First Branch, from Peebles Island by the Third Branch, Green Island by the Second Branch, and from Troy by the Hudson River. Politically a part of the city of Cohoes. - Simmons Island–a small island in the middle of the First Branch with Van Schaick to the east and the mainland of Cohoes to the west. Politically a part of the city of Cohoes.
- Peebles Island–At 132 acres (53.4 ha) the largest of the islands formed by the sprouts that are in the town of Waterford and Saratoga County. It is part of the Peebles Island State Park and home to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.
- Second Island–Second largest, after Peebles, of the islands that are in Waterford, and once was called King's Island. The island is the home to a Boy Scouts of AmericaBoy Scouts of AmericaThe Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
camp, Camp Kavanaugh. - Goat Island–situated in the middle of the Fourth Branch and is owned by the state of New York.
- Bock Island–the site of two dams, one on each side connecting it to the Saratoga County mainland and to Peebles Island. Situated in the middle of the Fourth Branch and owned by Mohawk Paper. The island is 1.38 acre (0.55846668 ha) in size.
- Polrump Island–situated in the middle of the Fourth Branch and is owned by the state of New York.
Recreation
Peebles Island is part of the Peebles Island State Park, an undeveloped park with recreational hiking paths and remnants of historical battleworks thrown up during the US Revolutionary War. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic PreservationNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation operates :*168 state parks*35 state historic sites*76 developed beaches*53 water recreational facilities*27 golf courses*39 full service cottages*818 cabins...
headquarters is located on the island. There is a public fishing site on the northern end of Simmons Island, and Peebles Island has shoreline fishing spots and areas where the river can be safely waded in. All fishing in the sprouts is catch and release due to the presence of PCB. A former railroad bridge over the Second Branch, variously referred to as the Black, Delaware, or Cohoes–Green Island bridge was renovated as part of a bike/hike trail connecting the cities and villages of Watervliet, Green Island, Cohoes, and Waterford. A visitor's center with public docks are on the northern shore of the Fourth Branch in the village of Waterford
Waterford (village), New York
Waterford is a village in Saratoga County, New York, USA. The population was 2,204 at the 2000 census. The name derives from the ford between the mainland and Peebles Island....
.
There are designated swimming areas and there are individuals who enjoy river surfing
River surfing
River surfing is the sport of surfing either standing waves or tidal bores in rivers. Claims for its origins include a 1955 ride of 1.5 miles along the tidal bore of the River Severn...
.