Beaver River (New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beaver River |
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The Beaver River near Lake Lila
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| Region | Adirondack Mountains |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Lake Lila |
| River mouth | Black River Castorland, New York 720 ft (220 m) 43°53′36″N 75°30′13″W / 43.89333°N 75.50361°W |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 323 sq mi (840 km2) |
| Tributaries |
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The Beaver River is a small river that starts in the Adirondack Mountains in New York State. It flows into the Black River near a town called Naumburg. The river passes through parts of Hamilton, Herkimer, and Lewis counties. Its journey begins at Lake Lila in Long Lake.
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Whitewater Fun on the River
The Beaver River is a super popular spot for whitewater kayaking and canoeing. This is because it has a "high gradient." This means the river drops a lot in height over a short distance. Imagine a steep slide for water! This makes the water flow very fast and creates exciting rapids.
Every September, hundreds of whitewater paddlers come to the Beaver River. They travel from all over the US and eastern Canada to enjoy the thrilling rapids. It's a big event for people who love water sports.
Power from the River
Because the Beaver River flows downhill so quickly, it's a great place to make hydropower. Hydropower uses the force of moving water to create electricity. Between 1905 and 1920, several hydropower projects were built along the river.
These projects created a series of reservoirs, which are like large lakes. These reservoirs have become excellent places for fishing. For example, the Soft Maple Reservoir is well-known for its Smallmouth Bass.
The Unique Hamlet of Beaver River
There's a tiny community called Beaver River located at the east end of Stillwater Reservoir. Only three people live there all year round! However, during the summer, many more people come to stay in their camps in this wilderness area.
What makes this hamlet special is that you can't drive there. There are no roads leading to it. You can only reach it by hiking, taking a special rail car, or by boat in the summer. In the winter, people use snowmobiles, snowshoes, or cross-country skis to get there. It's a truly wild and remote place!
Fishing in the Beaver River
The Beaver River is a fantastic place for freshwater fishing. It's home to many different kinds of fish. You can find Northern Pike, Pickerel, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Bullhead, Catfish, Muskellenge, Carp, and Sunfish here.
Smallmouth Bass are very common in the river. It's not unusual to catch a large 20-inch bass in the upper reservoirs, especially in Effley and Soft Maple. The Soft Maple Reservoir is also the only place on the Beaver River where you can find Tiger Muskellenge. These fish are stocked there regularly by the NYS DEC (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation).
