Canandaigua Outlet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Canandaigua Outlet |
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The Canandaigua Outlet, looking upstream, from Jones-Blunt Park in Shortsville, New York.
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| Region | Finger Lakes |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Canandaigua Lake Canandaigua, Ontario County 688 ft (210 m) 42°52′28″N 77°15′44″W / 42.87444°N 77.26222°W |
| River mouth | Erie Canal (Clyde River) Lyons, Wayne County 384 ft (117 m) 43°03′41″N 76°59′47″W / 43.06139°N 76.99639°W |
| Length | 34 mi (55 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 188 sq mi (490 km2) |
| Tributaries |
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The Canandaigua Outlet is a cool river in New York. It's like a watery highway that connects Canandaigua Lake to the famous Erie Canal. This river flows about 34 miles (55 km) north through Ontario County and Wayne County. It's the main way water leaves Canandaigua Lake.
The Canandaigua Outlet is part of a bigger water system. Its water eventually flows into the Clyde River, then the Seneca River, and finally the Oswego River before reaching Lake Ontario. People love to visit the Canandaigua Outlet for fun activities. You can go fishing, or try exciting whitewater canoeing, kayaking, and rafting.
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Journey of the Canandaigua Outlet
The Canandaigua Outlet starts at the northern end of Canandaigua Lake in the city of Canandaigua. It's a natural outflow, meaning the water flows out on its own. There's also a special man-made canal that helps drain water from the lake into the outlet. Gates control how much water flows from the lake into the outlet.
From Canandaigua, the outlet travels northeast. It passes through the town of Canandaigua and then into Hopewell. The river continues north through the villages of Shortsville and Manchester.
The outlet then turns east, following the New York State Thruway. It goes through the town of Manchester, passing near Clifton Springs and the community of Gypsum. Next, it flows through the town and village of Phelps.
Finally, the Canandaigua Outlet turns north again towards Wayne County. It passes through Alloway in the town of Lyons. The river then joins the Erie Canal at Lock #27 in the hamlet of Lyons. This is just north of NY Route 31.
Rivers That Join the Outlet
Many smaller rivers and streams, called tributaries, flow into the Canandaigua Outlet. These waterways are all part of its watershed, which is the area of land where all the water drains into the outlet.
- From the right side:
- Freshour Creek in Hopewell
- Sulphur Creek in Clifton Springs
- Rocky Run in Hopewell and Manchester
- Flint Creek: This creek starts far away in Steuben County. It travels through Yates County and parts of Ontario County before joining the outlet.
- From the left side:
- Padelford Brook in Canandaigua and Manchester
- Black Creek in Farmington and Manchester
Fun Places Along the Outlet
There are several cool spots to visit along the Canandaigua Outlet in Ontario County:
- Kershaw Park and Lagoon Park in Canandaigua.
- Jones-Blunt Park in Shortsville.
Every April, an exciting event called the Wild Water Derby happens in Shortsville and Manchester. It's a race for people who love whitewater canoeing, kayaking, and rafting. There's also Cheerful Valley Campground near the outlet in Phelps, a great place to camp!
A Look Back in Time
People have used the Canandaigua Outlet for a very long time, even before the colonial era. Before the famous Erie Canal was built in 1817, the Canandaigua Outlet joined another creek called Ganargua Creek in Lyons. Together, they formed the Clyde River.
