The Upper Delaware River: from Port Jervis to Barryville
The Upper Delaware River drains the western Catskill Mountains, the northeastern part of the Pocono plateau, and the rolling upland in between. It forms the border between New York and Pennsylvania for about 60 miles. These regions, part of the Allegheny Plateau, are underlain by thick, flat-lying Devonian strata of shale, sandstone and some conglomerate. Very generally, the bedrock here grades from shale to sandstone to conglomerate to the northeast and up slope, but with much alternation of layers.
The glaciated upland region surrounding the Upper Delaware between Port Jervis and the Catskills is of low relief but somewhat rugged and rocky, ranging consistently from about 1100 to 1300 feet in elevation. The Delaware and its tributaries are deeply incised into the bedrock, with the valley floor level ranging from 600 feet at Barrryville to to 400 feet at Port Jervis. In many places, the river has carved out a sheer cliff several hundred feet tall along one of its banks, such as Hawks Nest right above Port Jervis, and steep mountain slopes. However these spots alternate with gentler slopes, so that generally the river has a steeper side and a gentler side, not much of a gorge. There is very little floodplain, though.
Flowing southeast, the Delware descends about 8 feet per mile over the 60 miles between Hancock in the Western Catskills and Port Jervis. The section between Barryville and Port Jervis is somewhat steeper, averaging about 10 feet per mile. The water is mostly flat, with a short rapid section every few miles or so.
The tributaries tend to be faster flowing, in narrower and steeper valleys. The Lackawaxen River is considered a challenging paddle and the Mongaup River is known for whitewater kayaking.
The whole area is famous for fishing - trout in the tributaries and upstream, large mouth and small mouth bass in the main stream. There is a big shad run in the spring. This is one of the few river systems in the US that is not dammed for most of its length. And apparently the impoundments farther upstream contribute to the fish population by moderating the water temperature in the winter. There are also a lot of Bald Eagles.
The steep slopes above the rivers support stands of Eastern Hemlock, with Rhododendron common in the understory. Sweet Birch can be seen frequently above the banks, and Sycamore on sand bars and beaches. Tulip Poplar and Red Oak seem to be common forest trees of the area, and White Pine, Sugar Maple and Shagbark Hickory are conspicuous as well.
With glacially scoured hills and steep, narrow valleys, the area is not intensively used for agriculture. Today it is largely forested.
As far as cool herbaceous plants go, I saw some Yellow Flag starting to flower (this was early June) on a slope right above the water, and Mayapple in a flattish area above the bank. There were a lot of purple flowers that I couldn't identify.
The glaciated upland region surrounding the Upper Delaware between Port Jervis and the Catskills is of low relief but somewhat rugged and rocky, ranging consistently from about 1100 to 1300 feet in elevation. The Delaware and its tributaries are deeply incised into the bedrock, with the valley floor level ranging from 600 feet at Barrryville to to 400 feet at Port Jervis. In many places, the river has carved out a sheer cliff several hundred feet tall along one of its banks, such as Hawks Nest right above Port Jervis, and steep mountain slopes. However these spots alternate with gentler slopes, so that generally the river has a steeper side and a gentler side, not much of a gorge. There is very little floodplain, though.
Flowing southeast, the Delware descends about 8 feet per mile over the 60 miles between Hancock in the Western Catskills and Port Jervis. The section between Barryville and Port Jervis is somewhat steeper, averaging about 10 feet per mile. The water is mostly flat, with a short rapid section every few miles or so.
The tributaries tend to be faster flowing, in narrower and steeper valleys. The Lackawaxen River is considered a challenging paddle and the Mongaup River is known for whitewater kayaking.
The whole area is famous for fishing - trout in the tributaries and upstream, large mouth and small mouth bass in the main stream. There is a big shad run in the spring. This is one of the few river systems in the US that is not dammed for most of its length. And apparently the impoundments farther upstream contribute to the fish population by moderating the water temperature in the winter. There are also a lot of Bald Eagles.
The steep slopes above the rivers support stands of Eastern Hemlock, with Rhododendron common in the understory. Sweet Birch can be seen frequently above the banks, and Sycamore on sand bars and beaches. Tulip Poplar and Red Oak seem to be common forest trees of the area, and White Pine, Sugar Maple and Shagbark Hickory are conspicuous as well.
With glacially scoured hills and steep, narrow valleys, the area is not intensively used for agriculture. Today it is largely forested.
As far as cool herbaceous plants go, I saw some Yellow Flag starting to flower (this was early June) on a slope right above the water, and Mayapple in a flattish area above the bank. There were a lot of purple flowers that I couldn't identify.
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