Great Swamp (New York) facts for kids

The Great Swamp is one of the largest wetlands in New York. It's located in eastern Putnam and Dutchess counties. A wetland is an area of land that is covered by water, either all the time or for long periods. These areas are super important for nature!

What is the Great Swamp Like?

The Great Swamp is also sometimes called the Great Patterson Swamp. It covers about 6,000 acres (or 24 square kilometers) of land. This huge area stretches across several towns like Southeast, Patterson, Pawling, and Dover.

The swamp is located north of busy areas like Westchester County and New York City. About 40,000 people live in the larger area around the swamp, which is called its watershed. A watershed is all the land where water drains into a specific river or body of water.

Water from the northern part of the swamp flows into the Ten Mile River. This river then joins the Housatonic River and eventually reaches the Long Island Sound. In the southern part, water flows into the East Branch of the Croton River. This water then goes into the East Branch Reservoir, which is a big source of drinking water for New York City.

The Great Swamp is so important that it's called a Critical Environmental Area (CEA). This means it's a special place that needs to be protected by the state. Inside the swamp, you'll find Ice Pond, which was once used to harvest ice for people to use before refrigerators were common.

Amazing Animals of the Great Swamp

The Great Swamp is a fantastic home for wildlife! About 180 different kinds of birds live here, and 100 of them even build their nests and raise their babies in the swamp.

Some birds you might see often include the red-winged blackbird. Other birds, like the bittern, sora, and marsh wren, are harder to spot because they like to hide.

The swamp is a great place for animals because it's so big and has many different types of habitats. A habitat is the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism. The rivers flowing through it also help create a perfect environment.

Some areas are especially good for seeing wildlife. For example, Camp Sharparoon (now Dover Furnace Shooting Preserve) was one of the first places where ravens started nesting in the county.

Other common birds you might spot are:

• Turkey vultures
• Red-tailed hawks
• Swallows
• Chimney swift
• Black vulture
• American redstart
• Veery
• Indigo bunting
• Louisiana waterthrush
• Northern waterthrush
• Winter wren
• Black-throated green warbler
• Willow flycatcher
• Alder flycatcher

You can also see birds like the wood duck, mallard, Canada goose, great blue heron, and belted kingfisher nesting near bridges. The Great Swamp is recognized as an Important Bird Area by the Audubon Society, which means it's a vital place for birds.

History of the Great Swamp

Scientists believe that the Great Swamp was once a large, shallow lake. This is based on layers of clay found underground.

People have lived in this area for a very long time. Ancient people, known as Native Americans, lived here for about 8,000 years! They were drawn to the swamp because it had lots of plants, vegetables, and animals like waterfowl (birds that live near water) and fish. They used the swamp for hunting and gathering food.

In 1617, a treaty between Native Americans and Dutch settlers mentioned that furs from the Great Swamp were very valuable. There was likely a Native American winter camp nearby for trapping animals.

Later, in 1707, the Great Swamp area was sold to Lt. Gov. Nathan Gold of Connecticut. For a while, people argued over who owned the eastern part of the swamp. This area was known as The Oblong. Until 1731, it was part of Connecticut. But then, Connecticut gave this land to New York in exchange for another piece of land further south.

Between 1744 and 1757, a place called Pine Island in the middle of the swamp was used by a group of people who printed thousands of fake money notes.

Local farmers in the past were not happy about the swamp. They wanted to drain it so they could use the land for farming. In 1797 and again in 1840, people asked the New York State Legislature to drain the swamp, but it never happened. In the early 1900s, New York City even considered using the swamp as a possible reservoir for drinking water.

In March 1936, a very big ice flood caused the water levels in the swamp to rise a lot. The bridge that carries New York State Route 311 over the Great Swamp was damaged by the pressure of the water and melting ice. It was actually lifted off its foundation and swept into the swamp!