Salmon River Falls

Salmon River Falls
Salmon River Falls, May 2009.
Location	Salmon River Falls Unique Area, Oswego County, NY, USA
Coordinates	43°32′52″N 75°56′27″W / 43.5478478°N 75.9407509°W / 43.5478478; -75.9407509Coordinates: 43°32′52″N 75°56′27″W / 43.5478478°N 75.9407509°W / 43.5478478; -75.9407509
Type	Ledge
Elevation	741 feet (226 m)
Total height	110 feet (34 m)
Watercourse	Salmon River

The Salmon River Falls is a 110-foot (34 m) waterfall on the Salmon River in Oswego County, New York in the United States. It is situated within the 112-acre (0.45 km²) Salmon River Falls Unique Area, which is managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The falls and surrounding land are open to the public and are a popular sightseeing destination within the region.

Prior to European settlement, the Salmon River Falls area was utilized by the Onondaga, Oneida, and Cayuga tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy as seasonal fishing grounds, where they would harvest Atlantic salmon that were blocked from further upstream migration on the Salmon River by the falls.

It was not until the early 1800s that roads began to expand into the heavily forested region surrounding the falls, allowing for the first sightseers to visit the falls. Recreational and commercial salmon fishing was also noted at the falls prior to the extirpation of Atlantic salmon from the river in 1872. A tourist lodge and dancing establishment known as The Cataract House was operated near the falls between 1860 and 1888, and a food and novelty stand was operated at the falls in 1896. At this time, the falls were alternately referred to as High Falls in some sources.

The Salmon River underwent extensive changes in the early 1900s with the construction of hydroelectric dams and their associated reservoirs. Between 1912 and 1930, dams and reservoirs were constructed both upstream and downstream of the falls, and a 10,000-foot (3,000 m) pipeline was constructed that bypassed the Salmon River Falls. As the amount of water flowing over the falls diminished, their appeal as a sightseeing destination dwindled as well. During this time, the falls and surrounding land was owned by the Salmon River Power Company, which would later be absorbed by the Niagara Mohawk power company. The area remained unimproved, and by the 1960s the falls were known mainly as a problematic location associated with graffiti, cliff diving, unregulated camping, drinking and drug use.