The Cohoes Fall in Cohoes, New York

Name
Professor
Title
Date
The Cohoes Fall in Cohoes, New York
Visitors throng the Cohoes, and often like going to the Cohoes Falls because of its magnificence and history. The history of the region has never been mentioned without including the falls as it is an important aspect of the redevelopment agenda in the city. Throughout the region’s history, the falls have become an important facet which has kept more people visit the region from different regions of the world. The renovated region in the falls allows visitors to have a spectacular view of the fall. The history of the fall is fascinating as it provides insights into past attractions which brought about peace and gatherings without problems.
The Cohoes falls is an attractive water fall that is along the Mohawk River, and currently found in the city of Cohoes and Waterford in New York. The fall was first unearthed by the Mohawk tribe and were earlier referred to as the Ga-ha-oose, which was defined as the region where the canoe fell. An earlier historian referred to the name as meaning potholes which were in the river. This is in line with the potholes that are usually seen by individuals in riverbeds when there is drought. In the earlier traditions of the Iroquois, the place was considered sacred and was held in high esteem as it provided a place for the supernatural happenings among the communities in the region. The confederacy was a spectacular event which took place in the region, and this started as early as 1142 CE.

There are different experts who have confirmed that the region held the confederacy from 1450 to 1650 CE (Miller 50).
The Cohoes Falls is 950 feet wide and 60 feet high. It is 2.5 miles away from the region of Mohawk. The fall has a cut in rock which is above the Mohawk’s convergence along the Hudson River. The fall is contained in a gorge which has vertical walls that are high enough. In the base region of the fall, the width and depth of the pools varies. They are known to be ranging from high depths of 45 feet to almost high widths of 130 feet. The floor of the gorge when going downstream is rough and flat and has a sub-channel which has a width of 30 to 250 feet with a depth of 10 to 20 feet. The sub-channel is placed in the center of the gorge and has different concave figures which look like fluvial potholes. This region has potholes that have diameters in excess of 10 feet and are generally filled with gravel suggesting they are currently inactive.
There is less water in the falls due to the seasonal changes and this has been as a result of the trench which is located at lock 6. A larger part of the water is known to be in the force era as most of it is taken at the Dam. During spring, most of the water is usually low and this gives viewers a better view and enjoyment. The 18th century visitors to the region were indicated as the first travelers who were recorded in history to visit the region. There is a dam which is built along the Mohawk River, and this was done to ensure high power for the falls along the turbines. The power of the falls has been of great help to the city textile industry as members are able to make use of the system to run their machines without any problem. The textile industry has taken the region by storm and has made the region to be the largest producer of cotton.
Harmony Mills has dominated the textile industry of the region for long periods as it has been able to dominate their water waves. The industry produces more cotton that is sold around many regions in the US. During the great depression, the leaders from the region never taught of any tourism benefit from the fall and left the fall to suffer loss. This made the leaders to lease the water rights to other people making it incapacitated to produce the required amount of revenue for sustenance. The water rights were sold to companies like Orion Power and Niagara Mohawk. During winter the falls is very low and this changes during spring. It is usually dry during the months of April and May, and this are the periods when people can see the potholes with ease.
The Erie Canal was earlier thought to take over the navigation barrier of the falls. The canal was earlier known as the Clinton’s Ditch, and was along the city of Cohoes. It was enlarged and realigned, but still had to pass through the city of Cohoes. The canal was named the Barge, and was officially opened in the year 1918; it goes through the village of Waterford through the flight of rocks.
The most time to watch the Cohoes falls is during spring, and this is when there is more flow which is on high speed. The high speed is aided by the falls’ high level of 28m and width of 305m. During this period it is possible for the water to run at 2500m3 in one second. As the seasons change the flow becomes slow and the water is not able to flow at a high speed as required. This is because most of the flow of water is usually diverted at the Crescent Dam along the Barge Canal past Lock 6. Currently, more water is usually diverted to ensure power generation to the city in most industries while some water is diverted to the Cohoes water supply. During summer the region is dry which makes visitors to see the open shell rocks which are embedded upon one another. The Mohawk River has had a 87 year history of flow with a 34,638 cubic in every second, and this includes the water that is usually directed towards the Erie Canal locks and other plants that provide power in the region.
In conclusion, when making considerations of the Cohoes Falls, individuals are usually taken back to the ancient times when there was grandeur in the region. Visitors were able to enjoy different sceneries while the locals made use of the fall to get power and also water for their various consumptions. The admiration of the fall still lingers among most regions and people as it was a place and site to remember. The region is currently not being useful to the local industries and members have resorted to making use the fall during spring, though on a lower level.

Works Cited
Miller, Norton G, and Carol B Griggs. “Younger Dryas peat and wood from near the Cohoes Mastodon Site, Albany County, New York.” Abstracts Northeast Natural History Conference VIII. N.Y. State Mus. Circ. 66 (2004): 50. Print.