Black River (New York)

Black River
The Black River's Great Falls, Watertown, New York
A map of the Black River watershed
Location
Country	United States
State	New York
Physical characteristics
Source	North Lake
• location	Herkimer County, New York, Adirondack Mountains
• coordinates	43°31′19″N 74°56′53″W / 43.52194°N 74.94806°W / 43.52194; -74.94806[1]
• elevation	1,850 ft (560 m)
Mouth	Lake Ontario
• location	Dexter, Jefferson County
• coordinates	43°59′39″N 76°03′54″W / 43.99417°N 76.06500°W / 43.99417; -76.06500[1]
• elevation	246 ft (75 m)
Length	125 mi (201 km)
Basin size	1,920 sq mi (5,000 km2)[2]
Discharge
• location	Watertown[3]
• average	4,242 cu ft/s (120.1 m3/s)[3]
• minimum	137 cu ft/s (3.9 m3/s)
• maximum	52,000 cu ft/s (1,500 m3/s)
Basin features
Progression	Lake Ontario→ Saint Lawrence River→ Gulf of Saint Lawrence
River system	Lake Ontario drainage basin
Tributaries
• left	South Branch Black River, Deer River
• right	Moose River Otter Creek, Independence River, Beaver River

The Black River is a 125-mile-long (201 km)^[4] blackwater river that empties into the eastern end of Lake Ontario on the shore of Jefferson County, New York in the United States. The origin of the name is not clear, but it may stem from the natural tannic acid that darkens the water in places. The river flows in a generally northwest direction, with its valley dividing the Adirondack Mountains on the east from the Tug Hill region to the west.