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This guide will help you on your historic tour of the Black River, one of the main contributors to the economic growth of Lewis County in its early years. During the 18005 the Black River Valley was dotted with various industries. including logging, lumbering, mining, agriculture, and tanning. The Black River and Canal was the main artery to ship and receive goods into and out of Lewis County. The village of Carthage at the northern terminus of the canal was a bustling port, shipping and receiving all manner of freight. There was also regular passenger service from there to Lyons Falls with the fastest trips being made In a little over four hours.
Lumber constituted the greatest commodity shipped on the river and canal. Millions of board feet of lumber were taken to the river and transported to Rome via the canals. Farm products such as grain and potatoes were shipped to markets In New York City. Hides were imported on the canal. processed at several tanneries along the Black and Beaver Rivers. and returned as leather. Boats carrying produce. charcoal, cheese, butter and sand were towed by mules and horses upstream. On return trips. machinery, dry goods, and tools were brought to various landings within Lewis
County.
Jetties, dams, and locks built along the river made It more navigable for steamboats, even when water was low In the summer months. Most of the early bridges were made of wood and were of the draw or swing type to allow the passage of steamboats. The remains of several
of these structures are stili visible to those canoeing the river.
The entry of rail transportation with its greater speed brought an end to the use of the Black River
Canal. State funding for the operation and maintenance of the waterway ended in 1922.
Today. the Black River still serves an important role in the economy of Lewis County as a recreational resource for our residents, as well as for the many tourist that come to visit.
...a nature trail
While floating down the Black River, take some time to enjoy the natural beauty around you. The river system is a vibrant natural community comprised of fish, amphibians, shoreline trees, blrdlife. wildlife, and you.
The river supports a wide variety of bird life, some seasonally. The flood plain of the river serves as a stopover for Canadian geese, snow geese. mallard ducks, black ducks. canvasbacks. buffleheads. and a variety of less common waterfowl. Many of these, Including mallards and woodies, nest along the river and in Its marshes and wetlands. Shorebirds. including the killdeer and spotted sandpiper, may be spotted along the riverbank or in marshy areas. Red-winged blackbirds. cedar waxwings. Baltimore orioles. bob·o-links. tree swallows, kingfishers, ravens, mourning doves, and various flycatchers, warblers. wrens, sparrows. purple grackles. crows. and cowbirds all are common sights along the river. You might even spot a great blue heron or green heron stalking frogs or minnows in the shallows.
The trees that grow along the river bank are typical of species found along a flood plain with rich. somewhat heavy soils. Many of the species are found almost nowhere else in Lewis County. Sliver maple, green ash, black willow, basswood and box elder are found here along with species more common to the area like red maple, white ash, hemlock, white pine, quaking aspen, balsam poplar, american elm, cottonwood, and ironwood. Honeysuckle, viburnums, dogwood, shadbush, alder, hophornbeam, and thornapple crowd the riverbanks, forming thickets in some areas.
fishing & wildlife...
The stretch of the Black River between Lyons Falls and Carthage is popular for fishing and contains at least 35 species of fish. ranging from small minnows and shiners up to northern pike. The river is noted for its walleye and smallmouth bass fishing, but northern pike, brown bullhead, pickerel, and rock bass are also common quarry. The deep pools are a good bet for the walleyes. the bass like rocky riffles at the head of pools and the bullhead are likely to be loafing on the bottom in quiet water or where drainage ditches enter the river. Brown trout of impressive size are occasionally taken. especially during evening insect hatches and after rains.
You are likely to spot some critters along the Black, especially in early morning or towards dusk. You will find gray and red squirrels working in the tree lines of the bank. Muskrats are all along the river, and you may spot them swimming. munching on some cattails along the bank, or coming out of one of their bank burrows. Deer are more elusive. but can be seen along most of this river area. Another common animal that's hard to spot is the raccoon. You'll often find his tracks as he·s worked his way along the river, trying to catch, frog or another treat. Mink, weasels, foxes. coyotes, beaver, cottontail rabbits. and otter all live along the rich river corridor.
Another type of "wlldlife" that you will get to see are insects. You might first notice a mosquito or two, but as you look around there is a whole world of insects, many intimately associated with the river. Dragonflies and damselflies can be seen flitting back and forth. sometimes seeming to hover along keeping you company. These insects serve as very efficient predators on flying insects (especially mosquitoes1) You may be fortunate enough to see the hatch of mayflies. caddisflys or dobsonflies. The hatch is dramatic with large numbers of adults dancing over the water but these insects, like dragonflies and damselflies, spend most of their life below water as eggs. larvae, and pupae. There they makan important contributlon to the food chain of the river, providing food for many different fish. Summer is a good time to observe butterflies along the river. In addition to the common cabbage, sulfur, and monarch butterflies. you might be rewarded with the sight of a tiger swallowtail, one of the blues. a saturnlid moth or even one of the beautiful pastel green luna moths.
The river environment is a fragile one. The waters you see come from the large area in our region known as the Black River Drainage Basin. What we do anywhere in the Basin can affect the quality of our river. As we learn more about it, each of us can play our part in protecting the Black River.
lewis county
Welcome to the Black River, the longest river in New York State, in the heart of Lewis County. We encourage you to explore any or all of the unique sections of the River, using this guide to identify the many points of interest, and different plants and animals along the way.
The stretch of River from Lyons Falls to Beach's Landing is best navigated by canoe or car top boat. North of Beach's Landing larger boats can navigate with greater ease. The Black River Is a warm water fishery from Lyons Falls downstream; upstream it Is a cool water fishery with trout and smallmouth bass. There are several easy-to-find car top launches upstream from Lyons Falls that are not shown on the map.
If you put in or take out at the Lyons Falls, Glenfield or Beach's Landing launch, you will see the interpretive signing located there. Each sign contains valuable details regarding the Black River, including a brief history of the Black River Canal, a complete map of the section of the river from Lyons Falls to Carthage, fishing information, and a description of the wildlife that you are likely to see along the way.
The improved launches, new directional signing, interpretive signs, and a new county map now provide residents and visitors with opportunities to utilize the Black River as never before. We invite you to picnic, fish, and boat the Black River, one of Lewis County's most historic rivers. Enjoy your day and come back again!
...a world apart
try to imagine...
Steamboats, 90 feet long, pulling strings of canal boats. At the landings, stacks of wood for the boilers and freight wagons, carriages, and folks on foot moving to and fro, going about their business.
Imagine goods being hauled by canal boat - lumber, potatoes, sand, hides, and anything else destined for markets in the Mohawk and Hudson Valleys and the cities along the Erie.
Imagine spending a day on the historic Black River, New York State's longest river.
river fest
Come and spend a leisurely day of canoeing on the Black River with the whole family. See the Lewis County Chamber events page for details.
