NYSGA 1963
Geology of South-Central New York
a guidebook
with articles and field trip logs
prepared for the
NEW YORK STATE GEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
35th Annual Meeting
Binghamton, New York
May 3-4, 1963
Donald R. Coates, Editor
HOST
Department of Geology
Harpur College
of the
State University of New York

A: UPPER DEVONIAN STRATIGRAPHY AND SEDIMENTOLOGY IN THE BINGHAMTON AREA
James E. Sorauf and Herman E. Roberson
Department of Geology
Harpur College
No Road Log

STOP 1 Twist Run
The road cuts in Twist Run (Fig.2), expose beds of the Rhinestreet Formation. Near the top of the hill is a 7-foot interval of dark gray, fissile shale, the Dunn Hill Member of the Rhinestreet Formation. Above the Dunn Hill shales are the basal beds of the overlying Beers Hill Member of the Rhinestreet. Approximately 12 to 15 feet of strata of the Beers Hill Member are composed of siltstones, generally quite massive where fresh, but weather into thin and irregular units. The basal 4-foot unit exhibits minute crosslamination.
Below the Dunn Hill Member is the Millport Member of the Rhinestreet, comprising the largest amount of the exposed beds. It is composed of a series of units which are somewhat cyclic in nature. Ideally the unit grades from massive, very fine-grained sandstone at the base, through massive siltstones into siltstones progressively thinner bedded and more argillaceous upwards, with a thin bed of dark shale at the top. At the base of each massive unit are flow rolls. Few if any of the units show the complete range of lithologies listed above, and each unit is extremely lenticular. Thus the measured thicknesses of each bed shown on Figure 2 must be regarded as true only for the exact place of measurement. Several of the massive beds of very fine-grained sandstone can be seen pinching out laterally within the confines of the outcrop.
Faunal elements are present within the sequence, either interspersed along bedding planes within the siltstone layers, or in definite beds of coquina. Both brachiopods (orthids, productids, and spiriferids) and pelecypods are abundant at several levels. At least three thin beds of coquina are present within this sequence. At this locality, each bed is very thin; the thickest observed being less than 6 inches.
The lowest outcrops in Twist Run are still within the Millport Member, which is underlain by the basal or Moreland Member of the Rhinestreet Formation. The Moreland is a dark shale unit similar in lithology and thickness to the Dunn Hill Member seen at this locality.

STOP 2 Binghamton Brick Co. Quarry
The quarry of the Binghamton Brick Company is developed in the Millport Member of the Rhinestreet Formation. The Moreland Member is exposed at the entrance to the quarry below the level of the main floor. The quarry floor and walls, developed as a series of steps carved from the hill, are composed of beds of the Millport Member.
As in Figure 3, the Millport Member in this locality consists of a series of alternating gray to green siltstone and shale. The shale units range from 10 to 15 feet in thickness, and are generally thin-bedded and fissile, especially where weathering has occurred. Medium-bedded siltstones occur in a somewhat cyclic pattern throughout the section. In the upper part of the sequence, the siltstones are more thickly bedded, and correspondingly the cyclical pattern is not as regular.
Smooth, continuous bedding planes between shale beds and also between shale and siltstone beds predominate; there appears to be little lensing. Small-scale cross-laminations may be observed in the siltstones.
Two prominent flow roll zones may be observed. The first occurs about 100 feet above the floor of the quarry, and the next about 20 feet higher. The flow rolls of the latter unit are numerous, and range greatly in size, shape, and degree of development. Beds of coquina are seen in place and in slump in the upper part of the section.

STOP 3 Corbisello Quarry
The Corning Member of the Gardeau Formation and the overlying New Milford Formation are exposed in this quarry. The Corning Member at this localtiy is a gray, fissile shale, of which approximately 5 feet are exposed.
The New Milford Formation contains a tongue of the Catskill facies at the base. This tongue is composed of massive, interbedded, thick lenses of sandstone. Lenticular cross-lamination is present in the thick lenses. There is a thin disrupted coal seam in the middle part of this sandstone unit. Ripple marking has been preserved on the upper surface of this sandstone tongue. This is probably a fluviatile deposit deposited near the strand line of the Upper Devonian sea.
Overlying the massive sandstone is a thick sequence of shale and interbedded siltstone. These fine-grained rocks are thought to be near-shore deposits, possibly lagoonal muds. Above the unit of shale and interbedded siltstone is another sequence of massive lenses of sandstone with interbedded siltstone and shale. These beds are similar to the basal sandstone in lithology, but are extremely lenticular.
This is the only stop on this trip, or on the trip led by Woodrow and Nugent, where the Catskill non-marine facies may be observed. Several miles to the south the New Milford is entirely composed of beds belonging to the Catskill facies.

B: GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE BINGHAMTON AREA
Donald R. Coates
54.6 miles

B: GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE BINGHAMTON AREA

Binghamton Brick Company.
From Stop A-2 description: The quarry of the Binghamton Brick Company is developed in the Millport Member of the Rhinestreet Formation. The Moreland Member is exposed at the entrance to the quarry below the level of the main floor. The quarry floor and walls, developed as a series of steps carved from the hill, are composed of beds of the Millport Member.
As in Figure 3, the Millport Member in this locality consists of a series of alternating gray to green siltstone and shale. The shale units range from 10 to 15 feet in thickness, and are generally thin-bedded and fissile, especially where weathering has occurred. Medium-bedded siltstones occur in a somewhat cyclic pattern throughout the section. In the upper part of the sequence, the siltstones are more thickly bedded, and correspondingly the cyclical pattern is not as regular.
Smooth, continuous bedding planes between shale beds and also between shale and siltstone beds predominate; there appears to be little lensing. Small-scale cross-laminations may be observed in the siltstones.
Two prominent flow roll zones may be observed. The first occurs about 100 feet above the floor of the quarry, and the next about 20 feet higher. The flow rolls of the latter unit are numerous, and range greatly in size, shape, and degree of development. Beds of coquina are seen in place and in slump in the upper part of the section.

Phelps Creek and south side of Hillcrest.
Phelps Creek and south side of Hillcrest. Cemented gravels attest to high lime content of sediments. This kame terrace with 900' level extends along east side of road 1.5 miles

STOP 1
Valley train outwash plastered on bedrock of shale and siltstone to height of 140'. Strata are in contact between Upper Sonyea Group at the base and Lower West Falls Group (Rhinestreet Formation) on top.

Sonyea Group
Bedrock is Upper Sonyea Group. This marks site of the post-glacial Chenango River channel that was incised owing to ice and sediment blockage in old channel to the west. Northward the valley contains a wide range of outwash deposits, terrace and plain levels, and alluvial fans. The original outwash plain slopes north from 880' to more than 1,000' at Chenango Forks and has been trenched by the Chenango River and Page Brook tributaries.

Turn left
Turn left (west) into Park area. Pass over Page Brook.

Chenango Valley State Park
Chenango Valley State Park entrance. Continue straight and make counterclockwise circuit of Park.

STOP 2
Park in parking area near pavilion. Elevation of sharp ridge is 950' which is 60' above Lily Lake on the north and Chenango Lake on the south, both are kettle hole lakes. The ridge is composed of unconsolidated materials and is probably the finest example of a crevasse filling in this part of the State. The Park contains numerous kettles and plains; however, this is not kame and kettle topography. Instead the stratified materials are largely horizontally bedded (stop 3) indicating transport from the north that engulfed stagnant ice blocks.

STOP 3. Sand and gravel quarries
Sand and gravel quarries in horizontally-bedded glaciofluviatile materials. A characteristic of quarries in the Binghamton area is coarse material on top with finer material at the bottom which are commonly sands showing cross bedding and deltaic bedding. Continue north and notice many excellent kettles along route, some more than 60' deep.

STOP A-2 Binghamton Brick Co. Quarry
The quarry of the Binghamton Brick Company is developed in the Millport Member of the Rhinestreet Formation. The Moreland Member is exposed at the entrance to the quarry below the level of the main floor. The quarry floor and walls, developed as a series of steps carved from the hill, are composed of beds of the Millport Member.
As in Figure 3, the Millport Member in this locality consists of a series of alternating gray to green siltstone and shale. The shale units range from 10 to 15 feet in thickness, and are generally thin-bedded and fissile, especially where weathering has occurred. Medium-bedded siltstones occur in a somewhat cyclic pattern throughout the section. In the upper part of the sequence, the siltstones are more thickly bedded, and correspondingly the cyclical pattern is not as regular.
Smooth, continuous bedding planes between shale beds and also between shale and siltstone beds predominate; there appears to be little lensing. Small-scale cross-laminations may be observed in the siltstones.
Two prominent flow roll zones may be observed. The first occurs about 100 feet above the floor of the quarry, and the next about 20 feet higher. The flow rolls of the latter unit are numerous, and range greatly in size, shape, and degree of development. Beds of coquina are seen in place and in slump in the upper part of the section.

Tioughnioga River
Keep left, pass over Chenango River bridge to Chenango Forks and intersection with Rt. 12. This area is junction with Tioughnioga River. Excellent exposures of bedrock, till, and lacustrine beds occur 1.2-1.7 mi. upstream in Tioughnioga River. Here it is flowing in post-glacial gorge with bedrock walls. The pre-glacial channel is 2 mi. northeast and parallel to same direction and part of the old stream bed is occupied by Ockerman Brook. (Fig.4)

Post-glacial channel
Along this part of route the Chenango River flows in post-glacial channel, the older channel was east and is now filled. Stratified outwash occurs along west side of route and at high levels above the valley walls are several small 'through-valleys'. These saddles and cols are a type of wind-gap created by high-level meltwater streams when the valley was ice filled and the uplands had become ice-free.

High level saddle
Ascending a high-level saddle, 1070', one of the overflow passes.

STOP 4. Pre-glacial channel
The railroad marks the axis of the pre-glacial Chenango River channel. This area contains many quarries in outwash sand and gravel. A recently drilled well, April 1, 1963, produced 120 gpm from sand and gravel 98' below ground surface.

Terraces and till
Chenango Bridge red light. Turn right and continue west to red light and intersection with Rt. 12, then turn left and continue on Rt. 12 to Prospect Street. Good exposures of outwash and terrace levels in main part of valley floor. On the valley walls are exposures of Binghamton till at Rappaport's and Grand Union.

STOP 5. Borrow pit in Olean till
Old borrow pit on right side of road is in Olean till. Elevation 940'. See text for characteristics of valley fill across the Chenango and Susquehanna valleys. S 300W is well field for ANSCO. Yield of wells range from 150- 1,800 gpm. ANSCO has a recharge program in which water is recycled back into the aquifers. Continue west to the next stop by taking Prospect Street, Harry L. Drive, and just west of Calvary Cemetery.

STOP 6. Borrow pit in Olean till
Borrow pit on right side of road in Olean till. Used as fill in flood wall construction. Return to Rt. 17 on south side of Susquehanna River through Oakdale, Rt. 17H and Riverside Drive, and across Johnson City-Vestal Bridge.

Kettle Hole
Star-Victory marketing area is located in kettle hole. This is one feature in a morainic complex that extends 0.8 mi. west and was the former site of Susquehanna River prior to blockage.

View of terrace
Good view of 860' level terrace, one part of a vast outwash plain that continues west past Tracy Creek.

Binghamton-lithology till in borrow pit on left side of road (stop 9).

Deltaic outwash
Deltaic outwash on south in area of Federal Electronics.

Outcrop of Lower West Falls Group
Bedrock, claystone and shale. Lower West Falls Group (Rhinestreet Formation). Used for bricks and fill.

Choconut Creek
Choconut Creek. Flood walls built by Army Corps of Engineers as part of flood-control project in the Triple Cities area. This area is site of Town of Vestal well field. Wells did not encounter bedrock at 170' and yield 70,000 gallons per day per foot of drawdown. West of this area at Castle Gardens are large quarries in sand and gravel outwash.

Unconsolidated glacial materials on left side of road (Stop 8).

STOP 7. Bedrock walls of Tracy Creek
Bedrock walls of Tracy Creek. (Rhinestreet Formation) This is post-glacial gorge and typical of the many drainage diversions in the Binghamton area. It is common for these derangements to occur near the junction with major streams. This is similar to the Tioughnioga junction diversion. The pre-glacial Tracy Creek channel is east and became choked with morainic debris. The stream, unable to locate its clogged former channel with disappearance of the ice, incised a new channel as a superimposed stream, even though in bedrock.

West side of Tracy Creek
Bus stop only to show the west side of Tracy Creek. Olean till occurs in stream cut but varve clays are at the top of the sequence. This exposure completes the history of this local area for the morainic dam impounded waters flowing north and formed a lake, the outlet of which overflowed and started incisement of the bedrock gorge. The lake may have been in existence more than 200 years. Olean-Binghamton transitional facies also occurs.

Pre-glacial Tracy Creek
Turn sharp left on Ross Hill Road. Outcrops of Olean till occur on the right side of road. This area is site of pre-glacial Tracy Creek.

STOP 8 Borrow pit
Triple Cities Construction Co. equipment area and borrow pit. The glacial deposits are lacustrine sands, silts, and clays at 840' with Binghamton till on top. The till has the appearance of being in part ice-rafted.

STOP 9. Borrow pit
Large borrow pit near African Road. This material was used in construction of flood walls for the containment of the Susquehanna River. This is typical Binghamton till. The oxidized and leached upper 12' are characteristically brown and below is gray unleached till'with high limestone content. The pebbles have bi-modal roundness parameters indicating a dual source, one of local derivation, and the other of longer transport that initially were river-worn. The small butte-like remnant is composed of glacial-lacustrine beds at 850'. Recent excavation (April 6, 1963) reveal the locality from African Road to Federal Electronics to be a complexly developed till-lacustrine-deltaic-ice contact area capped by alluvial fan materials.

Outwash terrace
Turn left at African Road and in .2 mi. turn right on Vestal Road. This is outwash terrace with quarries occurring .6 mi. on left side of Vestal Road.

STOP 10. Barney Dickenson Company quarry
This is the second stop called STOP 9 in the guidebook...
STOP 9. The materials originated as valley train outwash in the Susquehanna valley glacial sluiceway. The coarse materials are horizontally-bedded and underlain by sands that are commonly crossbedded. Cemented conglomerates in the southeast part of the quarry show the results of the high limestone content in the lithology. In materials larger than gravel size the limestone is more than 25% and the igneous-metamorphic crystallines are more than 15%. Heavy mineral composition of the sands show more than 40% magnetite, 18% garnet, 10% ilmenite, and also containing kyanite, zircon, tourmaline, hematite, rutile, and hornblende. A mastadon tusk was found in the higher outwash gravels immediately south of the washing-sieving equipment in 1953. It is reported that the skull, jawbone, and teeth of a "horse-like animal" were found in 1956 in the same horizon 700 feet east of the mastadon location. These materials presently reside at Yale University, waiting for final identification.
1962 Annual Report of Barney & Dickenson, Inc.
(sent to U. S. Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Mines)
Type of Material | Quantity (Tons) | Value
2. Gravel | |

C: FACIES AND THE RHINESTREET FORMATION IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEW YORK
Donald L. Woodrow, Department of Geology, University of Rochester
Robert C. Nugent, Department of Geology, Northwestern University
174.8 miles

C: FACIES AND THE RHINESTREET FORMATION IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEW YORK

STOP 1. Doubleday Glen
Exposures of the Dunn Hill and Beers Hill Members of the Rhinestreet Formation. Elevation of exposure: 975'.
After leaving the busses, walk up the hill to the terraced exposure where the dark gray shales of the Dunn Hill Member may be seen. Small flow rolls are exposed here and many additional flow roll zones are visible in the stream bed of the Glen. Excellent view to the southwest, across the Susquehanna River. Red sandstones and shales of the "New Milford Formation" cap the hills visible across the river.

STOP 2. Binghamton Brick Company Quarry
Exposures of Moreland and Millport Members of the Rhinestreet.
Elevation of the quarry floor: 900'.
The very dark gray shales exposed at the base of the quarry are the easterly equivalent of the Moreland Member. No other dark gray shales such as these have been found at higher elevations in the quarry.

STOP 3. East Beecher Hill Road
Exposures of Beers Hill and Roricks Glen Members of the Rhinestreet. Elevation at bottom of exposure: 950'.
The Roricks Glen is represented by scattered, very dark gray shales at the upper end of the exposure. Flow rolls are well developed here. Cyrtospirifer sp. have been reported from strata at bottom and top of exposure.

STOP 4. Smithboro Section.
Smithboro Section. Exposure in Beers Hill Member of Rhinestreet. Elevation: 1000'.
This is an excellent, although small, exposure of Chemung lithofacies and biofacies. Massive sandstones and underlying mudstones are highly contorted in large flow rolls. Numerous brachiopods, pelecypods, and rugose corals may be collected.

Beers Hill Member
Exposure in Beers Hill Member, approximately 75 feet above the Dunn Hill member: lithologies Portage-like with rare, diminutive forms of
Cyrtospirifersp. reported.

STOP 5. Chemung Narrows. (0.4 mile stretch)
Exposure in the Gardeau Formation. Elevation: 800'.
This exposure is one of the most famous Upper Devonian sections in North America. Here, the typical features of the Chemung magnafacies are developed and well exposed. Notice the well formed flow rolls and prolific fauna. The proximity of this exposure to the highway makes it unsuitable as a place for discussion; therefore, we will move a short distance west and cross the Chemung River to a similar exposure, stratigraphically higher.

STOP 6. Wellsburg Section.
Exposure in the Gardeau Formation. Elevation: 840'.
This is a fresh (1962) exposure of lithologies similar to those seen at stop 5. Flow rolls are rare, but fossils may be collected readily. This road-cut and the section exposed along the railroad below the road served as the type section of Williams, Tarr, and Kindles "Wellsburg Sandstone Member of the Chemung Formation" (1909).

Gardeau Formation
Sandstones of the Gardeau Formation exposed on north side of road.

Millport Member of Rhinestreet Fm
Leave 17 for Elmira via East Church exit (extensive cuts in the Millport Member of the Rhinestreet Formation on the north side of the exit ramp.)

STOP 7. East Church Street Quarries
Leave busses at first dirt road to right after crossing bridge. Walk to quarries.
Exposure of the .Millport and Dunn Hill Members of the Rhinestreet. Elevation 910".
A comparison of the lithologies displayed here with the Iithologies seen in the Millport of the Binghamton region illustrates the facies changes that have occurred. At the top of this quarry may be seen the heavier-bedded siltstones and fine-grained sandstones of the upper Millport. The quarry floor and lower faces are cut into the black and very dark gray shales of the Dunn Hill Member.

STOP 8. Type Section of Dunn Hill Member.
Leave busses at first dirt road to the right (north); walk to stream exposure.
Elevation: 1010'.
In this stream, the Dunn Hill Member is 22 feet thick and is composed of gray, silty shales and mudstones with nearly eight feet of black and very dark gray shales of which the majority is concentrated in the basal ten feet of the member. A tributary of this stream draining the hill to the south is the type section of the overlying Beers Hill Member of the Rhinestreet.

STOP 9. Reference Section for Moreland Member
Black shales of the basal Moreland are exposed. Elevation: 1380'.
Owing to time limitations, the type section of the Moreland Member (in Hamilton Creek, one mile north of this stop, elevation: 1370') will not be visited, however, the black shales may be observed here. In addition, the limey mudstones and shales of the underlying Rye Point Member of the Sonyea Formation are well exposed in this stream.

Ithaca Formation
On the right (west) side of 14, exposures of the evenly bedded siltstones and shales of the Ithaca Formation are continuous from Watkins Glen to Montour Falls.

Ithaca Formation
Road cuts on north side of road; excellent exposure of siltstones in upper part of the Ithaca Formation.

Montour Member (Middlesex Formation)
Exposure of Montour Member (Middlesex Formation) under bridge in center of town.

Millport Member
Exposures of Millport Member on right (south) side of road.

Langsford Creek occupies valley on the left (north).

Beers Hill Member
Excellent exposures of the Beers Hill Member of the Rhinestreet in the hillside directly across the intersection from the bridge. Other exposures may be seen along 38 to the left (north).

D: GENERAL GEOLOGY OF THE WESTERN CATSKILLS
Donald R. Coates
132.5 miles

D: GENERAL GEOLOGY OF THE WESTERN CATSKILLS

STOP 1 Glacio-fluviatile and glacio-lacustrine beds
Outcrop of glacio-fluviatile and glacio-lacustrine beds intermixed with till and a deltaic complex. Lithology of the larger rocks includes red sandstone, local siltstone, and coquinite, and some igneous-metamorphic crystallines. Limestone is rare. The Susquehanna River is 810' and adjacent hills are 1500'-1600'.

Glacial Channels
Stay on Rt. 17 as Rt. 11 turns south. The wide area of unconsolidated materials was produced by junction of the west-flowing Park Creek and south-flowing Stanley Hollow. The latter stream was a major overflow channel of glacial waters when the ice front was north of the area.

Climbing out of the Susquehanna valley
Stay on Rt. 17 at Penn-Can turnoff. Climbing out of the Susquehanna valley. Will see Susquehanna again at Windsor.

STOP 2. West Falls Group
Lithology is largely shale and siltstone with some fine-grained sandstone. A few thin coquinite beds are present containing brachiopods and crinoid columnals. The original limestone has been removed. Several excellent horizons of flow rolls occur. The lack of parallelism of flow rolls and bedding planes is seen in the easternmost part of the outcrop. Radiographs done at Harpur (Greene and Coates, 1963) of sections cut at different orientation of the flow rolls indicate some interior structures of small-scale folding and gravity faulting. An angular unconformity occurs at this stop. Rocks also contain many other structures, both primary and secondary in origin. Next to the bedding characteristics in rock importance is the universality of the joint patterns. Two sets are well-developed throughout the Catskill region.

West Falls Group
West Falls Group on south side of road. Similar to stop 2. Throughout this area the hills are capped by sandstones of the continental facies of the Catskill delta-alluvial plain complex, but only marine facies rocks are visible along the road at the lower elevations.

STOP 3.
Walk on the west side of house down to flood plain of Occanum creek about 500 feet. On south side of creek is 50' high outcrop of Olean till (Catskill phase). The bedrock that occurs upstream indicates that in places Occanum Creek occupies a post-glacial channel.

Terrace development
Excellent terrace development at the community of Occanum. The origin of this type feature will be discussed later.

Choker Moraine
Thick till "choker moraine". This feature is also common along the route that will be travelled and it will be discussed later.

Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River, elevation 920', flows south. The hills are 1700'- 1900'. Occanum Creek forms an alluvial fan and the village of Windsor is built on the junction of the alluvial fan and the 980' level of outwash developed by the Susquehanna River in glacial times during ice recession. This terrace extends to Sage Brook and Rt. 79 utilizes it. Well-developed flood plain occurs in the present Susquehanna channel area.

Sage Brook.
Top of alluvial fan is 1000'. Olean till (Catskill phase) is exposed on north side of stream. This is the southern edge of the morainic barrier that extends northward around the river meander.

Channel, terraces, etc.
Turn right (east) at Ouaquaga over Susquehanna River and keep left at road Y .2 mi. Good view of present channel, plains and terraces on this west-flowing stretch of river.

STOP 4. Gravel Quarry
This is a .25 sq. mi. area of stratified glacial deposits. Materials have a wide range of size, composition, and structural forms. The history of this area originated with blockage of the river by ice and morainic deposits in the channel to the west. The glacial meltwaters were diverted to a low pass east of the former valley, causing incisement of the former divide. Further recession of the ice front occurred with the abandonment of stagnant blocks that melted more slowly owing to favorable positions of insulation. These conditions account for the complex bedding, size, and sorting of material relations. Much evidence of ice-contact deposits, lacustrine conditions, deltaic sedimentation,and valley train outwash is visible. Disconformities occur indicating an erosional interval separating deposition of older and coarser materials from younger sands. In some of the outwash sands there are veinlike structures composed of "bridged" grains. Norma] faulting is also present. Travel in and out of quarry is .6 mi.

Overflow Channel
From the quarry take the road south to East Windsor, pass under the tracks and turn right (south) at the T. This valley is the former overflow channel of the Susquehanna that was in turn abandoned when the drift dam was breached in the older channel to the west. Elevation of the pass is 1000'

Damascus - Marine / Non-Marine interfingerings
Damascus. To this point the route elevation has been 900'_1050' and at this level all bedrock is marine. Rock exposures in the new Rt. 17 roadcuts at Damascus indicate this is the strand line at road level. There are many interfingerings of marine and non-marine beds at this locality. Eastward the rocks are mostly non-marine. Damascus is on an incised alluvial fan of Tuscarora Creek. The road now climbs what is locally called "Tuscarora Mountain", and hill elevations are over 1900'.

Non-marine strata
South of the road is the first visible exposure of the non-marine strata of the Catskill delta-alluvial plain complex. Formations are still in the West Falls Group and are continuous for more than one mile.

Deer Lake.
Deer Lake. This lake along with Sky Lake one mile north and Fly Lake one mile south occur in the drainage of Fly Creek. The amphitheater-like basins all contain constrictions on the south suggesting their glacial origin of impoundment of south-flowing Fly Creek behind morainic loop dams. This pattern is repeated throughout the Catskill area.

STOP 5.
Turn right (south) to Gulf Summit. This area contains a great variety of glacial deposits, many are stratified. This is a topographic hollow with slopes rising on all sides, and thus was the locus for a large stagnant ice mass. The meltwater drainage was southwest and a deep notch was incised southwest of the village. This is now the divide, elevation 1375', between Cascade Creek flowing west to the Susquehanna River and a tributary of Fly Creek flowing east to the West Branch Delaware River. (see Fig.7 and 8) Cascade Creek with greater gradient is capturing drainage that formerly went eastward. 2.2 mi. round trip to Gulf Summit and return to Rt. 17.

Sand and Gravel Quarry
North of road is sand and gravel quarry developed in materials that indicate deltaic and glacio-fluviatile origin. These deposits are typical of the Otisville gravelly loam that occurs as a terrace-band through this area at elevations that reach 1410'. Thus, at a minimum there has been more than 36' of post-glacial incisement through the pass at Gulf Summit.

Former location of an esker
Junction of Rts. 17 and 41. At this location on north side of road was a well-developed esker, recently demolished during construction of the new road. From this point to Deposit in the Oquaga Creek valley are many glacial deposits, including high-level hanging deltas. See text for data on Oquaga Creek.

Deposit - Lunch Stop
LUNCH STOP at the Jordan House. This town is often given as the western boundary of the Catskill Mountains. Eastward the rocks are all continental, (Fig.4) and the stratigraphy for the general area is the Sonyea Group, with the Stony Clove and Lower Katsberg formation in the valley and lower slopes and the Upper Katsberg formation of the West Falls Group on the higher slopes and capping the mountains.

Upper Katsberg beds
Turn on Rt. 10 left (east) at stop light. stay on Rt. 10 to Cannonsville, 9.2 mi. The route parallels the west-flowing West Branch Delaware River. Upper Katsberg beds will be seen on left, with cross bedding, typical of many non-marine sandstones. Large outwash area is present on south side of river.

Temporary end of Route 10
Old Rt. 10 has been abandoned east of intersection of Rt. 8 and Cold Spring Creek. This is new bridge over the river and all the new construction was necessitated by development of Cannonsville dam and area as a reservoir for New York City. Work is done through the office of the Board of Water Supply.

Massive continental sandstones.
Massive continental sandstones. This is near contact of Upper Katsberg and Slide Mountain formations. Good exposures for .8 mi.
From one page handout (1963): Spectacular rock cut in diversion channel showing more than 100' of non-marine Catskill-type beds. Channel filling, faults, variations in color and lithology.
2010: Reservoir filled in 1964-5, so much may now be inundated.
DEC Unique Geologic Landforms 180: Deposit State Hwy 10

STOP 6. Cannonsville Dam
Picture stop for Cannonsville dam area. The Board of Water Supply, City of New York was created in 1905. Since that time water use in New York City has risen from 400,000,000 gallons per day to 1,200,000,000 gpd in 1955. Estimated usage for the year 2000 is more than 1,900,000,000 gpd. The Catskill system of reservoirs was started in 1907 for eastern drainages. When these supplies appeared inadequate for continued growth of the City, enabling interstate legislation was undertaken to use Catskill drainages of the west-draining Delaware River. In 1931 by court action 440,000,000 gpd could be used by the City and this was increased to total usage of 800,000,000 gpd in 1954. Total cost for the present Catskill reservoir system is well over $1 billion. The Cannonsville Reservoir will impound 97.4 billion gallons in the 450 square mile drainage area of the West Branch Delaware River. The dam is an earth embankment about 1,500' long and 175' high. The water supply will move by gravity through the West Branch Tunnel to the collecting Rondout Reservoir. The tunnel will be 44 miles long and 11.3 feet in diameter. Estimated cost of the dam and reservoir construction is about $60 million and the tunnel at $81 million. (Source: 50th Anniversary Report of the Board of Water Supply).

STOP 7. Catskill-type red beds.
Catskill-type red beds. View of the village of Cannonsville that will be inundated when construction of area has been completed. (see Cover page for picture taken prior to construction). 2010: Location is about as close as the dry land gets to where Cannonsville was.

Ascent of Trout Creek
Pass over West Branch Delaware River and at Cannonsville turn right .2 mi. then left (north) up Trout Creek. (see text for Trout Creek data) Cannonsville was built on materials that developed a small alluvial fan and terrace. Soil classification is Tunkhannock gravelly loam. It is 114' to bedrock. A variety of phenomena can be seen during ascent of Trout Creek. The valley slopes are in places bedrock (lower Katsberg Formation), and in others show unconsolidated materials some till, some stratified outwash and kame terrace deposits, and probably some of the large blocky rocks are in the range of congeliturbites. In places the road is on a terrace and there are constructional hills, mostly kames, developed in a valley-choker type of morainic complex. North of the kame and terrace area are flat plains of lake deposits impounded by the stagnant ice.

Lacustrine Sands
Lacustrine sands were uncovered during construction of the new bridge and another well-developed lake plain occurs upstream from this locality.

Alluvial fan
Rock Royal. Sherruck Brook has developed an alluvial fan and associated with it is glacial outwash. On east side of Trout Creek are more exposures of stratified outwash. Lake plain occurs north of this area.

Trout Creek
Village of Trout Creek and intersection of Rt. 206. Continue north. Valley fill is 60' thick.

Glacial topography
Glacial constructional topography of knobby-morainic hills, incised by a post-glacial, V-shaped gorge. This pattern will be seen many times on the trip.

Bedrock and morainic loop.

STOP 8. Stone net
Stone net in lower Katsberg Formation. This was first noticed by E.H. Muller. Open meadows such as this, throughout the Catskills, often show similar features. The slabs develop polygonal shapes, and constantly change in attitude from the center of a net. There is also some tendency for size-sorting of slabs. The original spacing of joints seems to influence the location and development of the nets. Frost heaving and ice wedging aid in deterioration and movement of the slabs.

Drainage divide.
Drainage divide for Susquehanna and Delaware systems.

Morainic loop.
Morainic loop on left side of road with post-glacial gorge.

Man-made lake.

Gulf Oil Company test well
This is site on right side of road of Gulf Oil Company test well drilled by Delta 29. On March 16, 1963, 3800' of rock had been drilled in about a month. Apparently the hope is that Oriskany sandstone when encountered will contain oil or gas of commercial value. From this position the road descends to Ouleout Creek drainage area.

STOP 9. East Sidney Dam
East Sidney Dam and Ouleout Creek drainage area. See manuscript for data on Ouleout Creek and Figure 9. Turn right .3 mi. to dam. Oneonta formation red beds occur at base of dam. East Sidney Dam built by Department of Army, Corps of Engineers. Completed 1950.
Dam characteristics: |
Quantity of concrete: | 156,000 cu. yd.
Height above Ouleout Ck.: | 130'
Length of Spillway crest: | 240'
Total length of concrete dam: | 750'
Embankment: |
Rock Fill: | 113,000 cu. yd.
Earth Fill: | 194,000 cu. yd.
Excavation: |
Take Rt. 7B from the dam going east WEST until intersection with Rt. 7. This part of road traverses excellent kame and kettle topography. There are two well-developed lower terraces before Ouleout Creek unites with the Susquehanna River. Sands and gravels are Tunkhannock gravelly loam, the upper terrace is Tioga silt loam and lower terrace is Chenango silt loam.

Oneonta formation
Rt. 7 turn left (south) to Unadilla. Oneonta formation crops out along railway cut. Susquehanna River flows south, elevation 1000'. Hills rise to 1900'.

STOP 10. Quarry
STOP 10. Quarry southwest side of Unadilla. This area is kame and kettle topography within a morainic complex that impounded meltwaters during glacial recession. Extensive lake plains and terraces levels and remnants of levels occur from this position upstream several miles. This pattern is repeated several times downstream in the Susquehanna valley. See text for description of lithology.

STOP 11. Masonville Quarry
Owned and operated by The American Blue Stone Company, New York, N.Y.: has been in operation since 1945. (See Fig.6) Current level working area is about 250' x 100' and production is confined to mill blocks. The processing plant is in South Unadilla. The quarry is flooded during the winter months to a height five feet above the lower bench to protect the stone from ice and frost damage. Mr. James J. Newberry has kindly qiven information about the quarry and has given permission to visit it. The mill processes 16,000 cu. ft. of stone from this quarry.
DEC links 1 2 3

River confluence
This is near the confluence of the Susquehanna and Unadilla Rivers. Streamflow of these rivers in this area are: Susquehanna River at Unadilla, N.Y., 1,626 cfs for 984 sq. mi. drainage area, and Unadilla River at Rockdale, N.Y., 842 cfs for 518 sq. mi. drainage area. Although the Susquehanna has two times the flow today owing to the larger drainage area, it is probable that the Unadilla carried more water during the ice ages. The headwaters of the Unadilla are at lower elevations than most Susquehanna tributaries and the major tributaries of the Unadilla occur in through-valleys. Overflow of the glacial lakes in the Mohawk Valley Region therefore found ready-made outlets in such rivers as the Unadilla and Chenango, and turned these valleys into giant sluiceways for the impounded glacial waters. There is a high-level drainage channel of the Unadilla in the saddle that occurs just east of Mt. Moses, the hill that rises north of the intersection of Rts. 7 and 8. Throughout the Sidney area are outwash sand and gravel quarries. Terrace development is common and a good view of the 1010' level occurs on the south side of river.

Outwash materials
Quarry outwash materials, coarse and rubbly at the bottom and finer sands and gravels at the top. The road is built on the 1010' terrace level. 2010: GE says 990'.

Bainbridge
Bainbridge is built on the 1010' terrace. Susquehanna River is 975! 2010: GE says 990' and 962'.

Olean till
Olean till on right side of road. (See text for description).

Ice contact features.
Sand and gravel area. Ice contact features are present. The Susquehanna is incised through the outwash plain.

Kettle hole lake
Afton Lake, a kettle hole lake. This is kame and kettle topography, created in part by a morainic complex. The locale is characteristic of many others in the Susquehanna valley, in which the constructional topography occurs near the junction of the Susquehanna and a tributary. The south-flowing Kelsey Brook is an underfit stream and the morainic areas are upstream in the Susquehanna valley.

Kame and kettle
More kame and kettle topography near the mouth of the north-flowing Cornell Creek on the south side of the Susquehanna valley.

STOP 12. The Plains
The Susquehanna River 950' elevation has incised more than 100' through a broad and exceptionally well-preserved 1060' terrace level, called "The Plains". Remnants of this level can be found several miles along the Susquehanna.

Leaving Susquehanna River
We are now leaving the Susquehanna River which turns south. The road ascends Belden Brook up to Belden Hill.

STOP 13. Parking area
Elevation 1650'. Near the Chenango-Susquehanna drainage divide. View to the south provides appearance of accordant summit levels. The summits actually range between 1600' and 1850'. Westward the road follows a tributary of Osborne Creek, an underfit stream. There are a series of at least four different morainic loops in this tributary system of the Chenango. These choker moraines occur at intervals from the parking area of 1.6 mi., 1.6 mi., .5 mi., and .9 mi. Notice the flat topography that is always upstream of these constructional areas.
2010: This is the last stop from the 1963 Field Trip. They returned to Harpur by older roads, we go back to SUNY Binghamton by expressways...