Pocantico River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pocantico River |
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The Pocantico as it flows through Rockefeller State Park
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| Region | Hudson Valley |
| County | Westchester |
| City | New Castle, Briarcliff Manor, Mount Pleasant, Sleepy Hollow, |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Echo Lake New Castle 325 ft (99 m) 41°10′48.2″N 73°48′36.2″W / 41.180056°N 73.810056°W |
| River mouth | Hudson River Sleepy Hollow 41°5′29.5″N 73°52′12.9″W / 41.091528°N 73.870250°W |
| Length | 9 mi (14 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries |
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The Pocantico River is a nine-mile (14 km) long river in Westchester County, New York. It flows into the Hudson River. The river starts at Echo Lake in the town of New Castle. It then flows southwest through places like Briarcliff Manor and ends in Sleepy Hollow.
The river's water comes from an area called a watershed. This watershed covers about 16 square miles (41 km²) and includes parts of Mount Pleasant and Ossining.
The famous writer Washington Irving lived near this river. He was inspired by the area around the river's mouth to write his classic story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". Later, the Rockefeller family bought much of the land near the river. Today, this land is part of Rockefeller State Park Preserve. Another area, Pocantico Lake Park, was once a reservoir. While the river flows through beautiful parks, it is also one of the most polluted rivers that flows into the Hudson.
Contents
The River's Journey
The Pocantico River begins at Echo Lake in Echo Lake State Park. This lake is in the town of New Castle. The lake is about 325 feet (99 m) above sea level. The river starts at a dam on the lake's south side.
Soon after leaving the lake, the Pocantico flows under New York State Route 100. It stays close to this road for several miles. The river then crosses into the town of Ossining. For a short time, it forms the border between Ossining and Mount Pleasant. The river then flows under Saw Mill River Road again. Here, it gets its first small stream joining it from Campfire Lake. The river, road, and North County Trailway continue southwest. The Pocantico then starts to form the border of Briarcliff Manor village.
Further south, the river crosses Saw Mill River Road again. It then flows under the Briarcliff–Peekskill Parkway (also State Route 9A). The river passes east of downtown Briarcliff Manor. It then flows through the village's Jackson Road Park. After this, it flows south, next to the parkway.
The river then enters Pocantico Lakes Park. Here, it gets wider and flows through swampy areas. It receives Caney Brook from the north. The river then becomes Pocantico Lake. The dam at the south end of Pocantico Lake is 219 feet (67 m) above sea level. This means the river has dropped 106 feet (32 m) from its start at Echo Lake.
From Pocantico Lake, the river flows southwest again. At Old Sleepy Hollow Road, it enters Rockefeller State Park Preserve. This preserve is over 1,400 acres (570 ha) and is the largest park the river flows through. The preserve has trails that follow the river. All three cross under State Route 117 and continue south.
Inside the preserve, the river winds through woods and open areas. Small stone bridges cross the river for the park's trails. The Pocantico then flows into the village of Sleepy Hollow. It receives Rockefeller Creek from the Pocantico Hills to the east. It then gets its last named stream, Gory Brook, from the north. After a short distance, it flows under the Old Croton Aqueduct. This is a very old and important structure. The river then leaves the preserve and flows through a narrow, wooded valley.
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As the river flows between Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and Douglas Park, its elevation drops below 50 feet (15 m). It then flows under U.S. Route 9. Here, the river is held back again, forming a mill pond at the Philipsburg Manor House. This manor is another important historical site.
From the mill pond, the river flows northwest. It widens into a flood plain. It then flows north, dividing a park from the Philipse Manor neighborhood. Finally, it flows under the railroad tracks used by Metro-North and Amtrak. It then flows under the entrance road to Kingsland Point Park and empties into the Hudson River.
The River's Watershed
The Pocantico River's watershed is about 16 square miles (41 km²) in size. It covers parts of Ossining, Mount Pleasant, and New Castle. This includes the villages of Briarcliff Manor and Sleepy Hollow.
The watershed has 436 acres (176 ha) of wetlands and eleven dams. About 14,866 people live in this area. The land is mostly suburban, with homes and businesses. But it also has parks, forests, wildlife areas, highways, and other buildings.
River History
The Weckquaesgeek Native American tribe had a village at the mouth of the Pocantico River. They called it Alipconck, which means "place of elms." The river historically marked the boundary between Mount Pleasant and Ossining.
The English once called the river "the Mill river." The Native Americans called it Pocanteco, meaning "a run between two hills." The Dutch called it "Slapershaven," or "Sleepers' Haven." The name "Sleepy Hollow" later came to describe the river valley. In 1996, the village of North Tarrytown officially changed its name to Sleepy Hollow.
Frederick Philipse bought land in the late 1600s. His properties became known as Philipsburg Manor. He built his main home at the mouth of the Pocantico River. A small community was already there when he arrived in 1683.
Around the late 1890s, Walter W. Law and Briarcliff Farms made the river deeper for about 2 miles (3.2 km). They removed rocky areas so the water would flow better. This also helped drain the swamps next to the river, making the land good for farming.
The North Tarrytown Assembly, a large car factory, was built in Sleepy Hollow. In 1923, the factory expanded by filling in land where the river used to be. The river was moved to flow south of the factory site.
During Hurricane Floyd in 1999, fallen trees blocked the Pocantico River. The river almost flooded the Philipsburg Manor historic site. Many people worked together to protect the site from the flood.
River Health and Environment
The group Riverkeeper takes water samples from the Pocantico River. The river downstream of Pocantico Lake is a home for brown trout. Each spring, fish are added to the river. For example, 540 brown trout were added in 2013.
Tests have shown high levels of Enterococcus bacteria in the river. This bacteria indicates that there is a lot of fecal matter in the water. These high bacteria levels have led to beach advisories for the entire river. In 2014, $9.9 million was set aside to fix the Tarrytown sewage treatment plant. This project aims to make the water cleaner.
A study by Westchester County looked at the river's water quality. Most chemical pollutants in the water met New York State standards. For example, nitrate and phosphate levels were good. This means there is little cultural eutrophication, which is when too many nutrients cause algae to grow. The amount of dissolved oxygen in the water was also good. However, the water's conductivity (how well it conducts electricity) was too high. This means there are too many dissolved salts or other substances in the water.
American eels swim into the river from the Hudson every spring. They move upstream over one to three years. Many eels gather under a dam in Sleepy Hollow. Only about 10% of them make it past the dam. Eels prefer to move upstream where the water is cleaner and they can grow faster. Other fish found in the river include white perch, white sucker, yellow perch, golden shiner, and alewife, but in small numbers.
The River in Stories and Culture
The ending of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" takes place at a bridge over the Pocantico River. This bridge is near the Old Dutch Church and Burying Ground in Sleepy Hollow.
Washington Irving also mentions the Pocantico River often in his book Wolfert's Roost. He describes the river as a "wizard stream" that winds through old Native American areas. He writes about the river flowing through woodlands and sparkling in open areas. He also mentions "Carl's mill," a haunted house near where the Pocantico flows over rocks.
