Swan River (New York)
The Swan River flows south from Swan Lake into the mouth of Patchogue Bay, Long Island, New York, which then becomes the Great South Bay. Originally however, the headwaters reached as far north as Medford, New York near the vicinity of Medford Station. Swan River is a relatively clean, cold, free flowing, freshwater stream, generally less than 15 feet wide, with a sandy substrate. This segment of the river flows through much undeveloped forested wetland, but has also been encroached upon by residential development, road construction, and a commercial sand mining operation. Below the Montauk Highway, the river is tidal, and is bordered by undeveloped marshland and limited development of boat docking facilities. The fish and wildlife habitat encompasses the entire river, including an approximate one and one-half mile tidal segment, and an approximate two and one-half mile and serves freshwater segment, which extends from Swan Lake, above the Montauk Highway, to the headwaters of the stream. Above Swan Lake, flowing southward into Patchogue Bay,
Swan River is one of only a few free-flowing, spring-fed streams on Long Island that have remained in a relatively natural state. Above Swan Lake, this creek provides habitat conditions suitable for natural reproduction by brook trout, and supports one of approximately 6 known wild populations of this species on Long Island. In addition to native fish populations in Swan River, concentrations of sea-run brown trout occur in the tidal segment below Montauk Highway, during their fall spawning period (September–November). The concentrations of salmonids in Swan River support a recreational fishery of county-level significance. However, no formal public access to the area has been developed. No unusual concentrations of any wildlife species are known to occur in the area. A few local marinas and untouched wild life are spread throughout its almost 2 mile run There are residential homes spread throughout the river's edge.
Famous quotes containing the words swan and/or river:
“I have seen this swan and
I have seen you; I have seen ambition without
understanding in a variety of forms.”
—Marianne Moore (1887–1972)
“Every incident connected with the breaking up of the rivers and ponds and the settling of the weather is particularly interesting to us who live in a climate of so great extremes. When the warmer days come, they who dwell near the river hear the ice crack at night with a startling whoop as loud as artillery, as if its icy fetters were rent from end to end, and within a few days see it rapidly going out. So the alligator comes out of the mud with quakings of the earth.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)