Historical Background and Development Patterns

Regional Setting

            The Town of St. Johnsville is a rural community located in the north western portion of Montgomery County, New York and consists of approximately 16.5 square miles.  The Erie Canal (Mohawk River) derives the Town’s southern border. The Town of Palatine comprises its eastern border and Fulton and Herkimer County’s serve as its northern and western border respectively. The Town, along with the rest of Montgomery County is included in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area (as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau).  The Town is easily accessible by automobile from New York State Thruway Exits 29 and State Highways 5 and 67.  See Regional Location Map on the next page.

Geology

            The Town of St. Johnsville’s natural landform was created by glaciers thousands of years ago.  About 550 million years ago St. Johnsville was a nearly featureless plain underlain by ancient igneous and metamorphic rocks.         

            During the Ordovician period (490 to 430 million years ago) the present day bedrock of St. Johnsville was deposited under marine conditions.  As time passed, very few changes took place until the Appalachian Revolution occurred during the end of the Paleozoic Era (220 million years ago).  This revolution permanently raised most of the State above sea level. 

            The present day landscape of St. Johnsville is due to the glacial stage in New York State which probably began 50,000 to 100,000 years ago during the Pleistocene ice age.  The glaciers transformed the landscape of the State changing river patterns, and smoothing out mountain tops.  Throughout this ice age there were a series of glacial advances and retreats.  The final glacial retreat occurred 8,000 to 10,000 years ago and was known as the Wisconsin Glacier.  In their wake the glaciers left glacial till, which is the material deposited beneath a moving glacier.  The makeup of this till is influenced by the local bedrock over which the glacier moved.  In this area the vast amount has contributed to the  clay rich soils.

            A Bedrock and Surficial Geology map have been prepared for the Town of St. Johnsville (see pages __ and ___ respectively).  The Bedrock Geology map shows the continuous solid rock of the continental crust, while the Surficial Geology map illustrates the distribution of deposits on the surface of the landscape.  The Bedrock Map shows that St. Johnsville is predominately underlain with the Beekmantown Group, Dolgeville Formation, Utica Shale, and Theresa (Galway) Formation.  The Surficial Geology Map depicts St. Johnsville has entailing large areas of till, gravel and sand.

Topography and Slopes

            Topography is the configuration of a surface including its relief and the position of its natural and man-made features.  When considering areas suitable for development, the topographic conditions of an area become a main factor in influencing the type of development that is feasible in that area.

            Development in a town can include, but is not limited to, the construction of commercial and industrial buildings, houses, roads, and the installation of utilities.  Due to increased technologies, development can now take place on most slopes of varying degrees with proper planning.  In general, as the degree of slope increases, so does the difficulty of building and supporting new structures.  Development on hillsides can reduce groundwater percolation and thus lead to increased runoff, destruction of water quality, and increased erosion, flooding, and possibly even landslides.  Another problem is that the costs associated with developing on steep slopes increases because of the extra measures that need to be taken to combat the problems listed above.  Lack of slope, on the other hand, retards the drainage of surface water and limits the effectiveness of sanitary sewage disposal systems.

            In general, it’s safe to say that low slopes (0 to 8 percent) are the most suitable for development providing there is careful removal of ground cover.  Development on moderate slopes (8 to 15 percent) should be analyzed carefully and the necessary erosion control techniques should be practiced.  Large commercial and industrial structures should be discouraged from building on lands with a moderate slope.  In general, all development should be avoided at all costs on extreme slopes (16 percent and over) because development on these slopes will most likely result in severe erosion.  On site inspection should always occur to determine if a site’s slope is suitable for development.

            The slope of a site can be determined by examining the contours of a topographic map or site development plan.  It can be calculated by placing the vertical rise over the horizontal distance between two points.  The equation for this reads:

SLOPE= Vertical Distance divided by Horizontal Distance x 100

            The Town of St. Johnsville has a wide variety of topography with just about two thirds of the town consisting of low slopes of 0 to 8 percent.  Slopes vary sporadically throughout the town ranging from 0 percent to 16 percent and over.  Areas of extremely steep slope (16 percent and over) exist along the banks of the some of the creeks in the found in the Town.  Large scale industrial and commercial development should be avoided in these areas.  (See Slopes Map on page ____).

            Elevations within the Town of St. Johnsville range from a low of approximately 300 feet above sea level along the Mohawk River to a high point of approximately 1040 feet above sea level near Baum Road in the northeastern section of the Town.  (See Elevation Map on page ______).

Soils

It is very important to know what soils are present when determining how suitable, if at all, a site is for different types of development.  Soil composition directly affects the land use potential for a given area or site.  Soil conditions are essential planning considerations because the water bearing capacity and subsurface drainage of soils are important factors in the selection of areas suitable for development of any kind.  The drainage capacity of various soils affects the density of residential development which is dependent upon individual septic tanks, or sanitary drain fields and private wells.

            Construction of septic systems, buildings, and highways are all affected by the type of soils found at that particular development site.  For example, soils with poor drainage and slow permeability can cause problems when poorly designed septic systems are installed.  Problems which may arise from installing septic systems in these types of soils are that the system can become backed up more easily and the soil around the system can be easily contaminated.  When installing septic systems in these soils, a properly installed and engineered septic system can be used to overcome the pitfalls of these types of soils.  Another example, is soils that have a high shrink-swell potential can cause streets, highways, and house foundations to crack.

            Soil data for the Town of St. Johnsville is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, National Resource Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) in the form of a Soil Survey.  The Montgomery County Department of Planning and Development has this soil survey on its Geographic Information System in digital format.  The Department is able to overlay any parcel within the County onto this soil map and delineate what type of soil is found there and its characteristics. 

The Soil Survey provides information on the properties of soils and their effect on selected non farm uses of the land.  The soil survey expresses soil limitations for selected uses as either slight, moderate, or severe.  A rating of slight indicates that the soil has properties favorable for the rated use.  Soil limitations are minor and can be easily overcome.  A rating of moderate indicates that the soil has properties moderately favorable for the rated use.  The limitations can be mitigated with special planning, design, or maintenance.  A rating of severe indicates that the soil has one or more unfavorable properties for the rated use.  Limitations are difficult and costly to overcome, but a rating of severe does not mean that soil cannot be used for the specific rated use.

It is recommended that the Town Planning Board obtain a copy of the Soil Survey from the National Resource Conservation Service.  This Soil Survey and its attached soil maps will help the Town Planning Board when considering the most suitable use of a piece of land for a particular area within the town.  It should be noted that this soil survey will help the Planning Board to eliminate some sites from further consideration immediately, but it should not supplant direct and detailed on site investigation when a development is being planned. 

In general, the soil structure of the Town of St. Johnsville is complex with nine different soil associations found.  These soils range from dominantly deep, well drained and moderately well drained soils that formed in glacial till on uplands to dominantly deep, excessively drained and very poorly drained soils that formed in recent alluvial deposits on flood plains.

The following map is derived from the Soil Survey and shows what soil capability class each of the soils found within the Town fall under.  (See Capability Class map on page ___).  Capability grouping shows, in a general way, the suitability of soils for most kinds of field crops.  The groups are made according to the limitations of the soils when used for field crops, the risk of damage when they are so used, and the way they respond to treatment.  The grouping does not take into account major and generally expensive landforming that would change slope, depth, or other characteristics of the soils, nor does it take into consideration possible but unlikely major reclamation projects.  It also does not apply to rice, cranberries, horticultural crops, or other crops that require special management.

The following is a list of the eight capability classes and a general description of each:

·        Capability Class 1

Soils have few, if any limitations that would restrict their use as soils for field crops of any kind.

·        Capability Class 2

Soils have only moderate limitations that reduce the choice of plants being grown or that require moderate conservation practices to be installed for proper management of the soil resource.

·        Capability Class 3

Soils have severe limitations that reduce that choice of plants grown, that require special conservation practices or both.

·        Capability Class 4

Soils have very severe limitations that reduce that choice of plants grown, that require very careful management, or both.

·        Capability Class 5

Soils are not likely to erode, but other limitations that limit their use largely to woodland or wildlife land.

·        Capability Class 6

Soils have severe limitations that make them generally unsuitable for cultivation and that limit their use largely to pasture, woodland or wildlife land.

·        Capability Class 7

Soils have very severe limitations that make them unsuitable for cultivation and that limit their use to woodland or wildlife land.

·        Capability Class 8

Soils and landforms have limitations that preclude their use for commercial plants and that restrict their use to recreation, wildlife land and aesthetic purposes.

Groundwater

Groundwater is a valuable resource because it is a major source of water supply, and it should be taken into careful consideration when development occurs.  Aquifers are subsurface waters that act as reservoirs and filters for drinking water, and they help in maintaining balance in the hydrologic cycle.  These aquifers are replenished by rain and runoff and this runoff contains the dissolved and suspended residues of human activities on land.  For this reason, leaking septic tanks and sewage lines, unsealed landfill sites, and sewage disposal sites can allow pollutants to pass directly into groundwater and can then contaminate the drinking water supply.  Taking all these things into consideration, it is necessary that proper planning take place concerning groundwater resources when a development is proposed.

            The United States Department of Interior Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.) in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation released a report in 1990 entitled “Availability of Ground Water from Unconsolidated Deposits in the Mohawk River Basin, New York”.  Through this report a map was generated which showed the estimated potential well yields.  (See map on page _______.)    The map represents the potential yield to wells from various types of saturated unconsolidated deposits.  The ranges of potential yield are based upon reported well yield data for the area, and the type and extent of surficial geology.  Most of the data was obtained from a well inventory conducted by the U.S.G.S. in parts of the Mohawk River basin during 1967-69 as part of a project to evaluate groundwater resources of the basin.  Based upon this study, three different well yields were derived from the Town of St. Johnsville (Estimated potential yield greater than 100 gallons per minute;  Estimated potential yield less than 10 gallons per minute;  and Inferred potential yield of 10 to 100 gallons per minute).  The delineated areas of the map depict where properly screened and developed wells of at least 6-inch diameter would be likely to have yields within the ranges shown. 

As noted earlier three distinct well yield ranges can be found in the Town of St. Johnsville:

Estimated potential yield greater than 100 gallons per minute:  Areas known to be underlain by aquifers consisting of well-sorted outwash sand and gravel, and recent alluvium primarily occupying valley bottoms and having a saturated thickness greater than 10 feet.  Potential yields may exceed 500 gal/min in areas where surficial sand and gravel units are hydraulically connected to overlying streams and rivers that could provide induced infiltration.  These deposits may comprise a surficial (water-table) sand and gravel aquifer, a deeper (confined) sand and gravel aquifer, or both.

Estimated potential yield less than 10 gallons per minute:  Areas underlain by deposits consisting of unstratified till that mantles bedrock uplands (ground moraine) and thicker deposits of till moraine (lodgment till).  Also included in this category are valley segments underlain by lacustrine silt and clay and areas of exposed bedrock uplands.  Till in this region is an unsorted, compacted mix of cobbles, gravel, sand, silt, and clay with very low permeability.  Where sufficiently saturated, till can yield adequate amounts of water for domestic use to properly constructed, large-diameter wells.  Thickness is variable and generally less than 10 feet for ground moraine and less than 50 feet for till moraine.  Some dug wells excavated in till are prone to failure during prolonged droughts or seasonal declines in the water table.

Inferred potential yield 10 to 100 gallons per minute:  Areas believed to be underlain by deposits composed of kame sand and gravel, glaciofluvial terrace gravel, deltas, high elevation kames, lacustrine sand and beach deposits, and alluvium deposited as terraces and fans.  Saturated thickness unknown, but probably less than 10 feet.  Areas thus delineated have little or no supporting well-yield data to confirm the presence of productive sand and gravel aquifers.  Their location and extent is inferred primarily from geologic evidence.  Individual well yields may be greater in areas where induced infiltration from nearby surface-water sources permits induced recharge or where saturated thickness is substantially greater than 10 feet.

Surface Water

            Surface water is valuable as a source of water for food, recreation, wildlife habitat,  transportation, and even power generation.  Surface water includes permanent bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, wetlands and estuaries, etc. These different types of surface water left in their natural state provide the community with scenic vistas, open space, and greenways.  The Town should protect their watercourses as prized community assets, and they should be taken into careful consideration when development occurs near them, because if they become polluted, the whole region’s water resources could suffer.

            The Mohawk River (Erie Canal) runs the length of the Towns southern border and is by far the largest body of water within the Town. There are several named and unnamed smaller creeks that can be found throughout St. Johnsville.  East Canada Creek can be found along the Towns western border.  Other creeks of note found within the Town are Crum, Timmerman, Zimmerman, and Mother.   The Mohawk River is classified as B waters by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.  East Canada, Mother and a portion of Timmerman Creek are classified as C waters.  Crum Creek, Zimmerman and a portion of Timmerman are classified as CT. East Canada Lake comprises the Towns northwestern border.  By definition presented in 6 NYCRR, Class B Waters are suitable for recreation and fishing; Class C Waters are suitable for fishing and fish propagation; and Class CT simply means that there is a presence of trout along with the waters being suitable for fishing and fish propagation.  These waters are protected and a permit will be required for any stream disturbance due to future development.

            One cannot talk about surface waterbodies without considering their watersheds.  Watersheds can be described as the large land areas that contribute runoff to the waterbody.  Watersheds are defined by the geographical features that determine where the water from rivers, streams, and rainwater runoff ends up.  The individual watershed entails all the land uphill from the waterbody.  It is important that the Town take into consideration these watersheds when a development occurs, because a project in one area can have far reaching affects to the inhabitants and wildlife of another.  The Montgomery County Water Quality Committee has identified seven primary watersheds in the Town of St. Johnsville:  Caroga, Crum, East Canada, Gravenstine, Mother, Timmerman, and Zimmerman Creeks. (See Watershed Map on page __).

            The Caroga Creek Watershed encompasses approximately 136 acres in the Town of St. Johnsville.  This Creek begins in East Caroga Lake in Fulton County.  Even though this is a major watershed, water levels fluctuate daily due to the dam at Caroga Lake which impairs this stream as a fishery.  This creek follows Wagners Hollow Road for a ways, but eventually it turns away and goes by Palatine Church on its way to the Mohawk River.

            The Crum Creek Watershed entail approximately 1,907 acres in the Town of St. Johnsville.  This watershed starts in the Town of Oppenheim in Fulton County and works its way through rolling farmland to the Mohawk River.  Parts of the watershed are frequented by “rock hounds” looking for Herkimer diamonds.

            The East Canada Creek Watershed has about 733 acres in the Town of St. Johnsville.  This creek is the western boundary of St. Johnsville.  One of the largest watersheds in the County, the East Canada Creek drainage covers parts of four counties.

            East Canada Creek above Beardslee Dam to the County line offers fine fishing for “cold” water species like rainbow and brown trout, and “cool” water species like smallmouth bass and assorted pan fish.  Below the dam to its confluence with the Mohawk River, most fish caught will be smallmouth bass, but the chance exists for a river run walleye or a lake reared trout.

            The East Canada Lake which forms part of the boundary between Montgomery and Herkimer County is annually stocked with about 3000 brown trout in sizes that range between 8 and 9 inches.  Although the fish that are stocked are rather small, many fish do holdover so the chance to catch a real “lunker’ exists.

            The Gravenstine Creek Watershed encompasses approximately 1,285 acres in the Town of St. Johnsville.  This watershed is actually a series of small watersheds that drain to the Mohawk River.  Probably the best known landmark in this watershed is Fort Klock.  Another historic site within this watershed is the Nellis Tavern.

            The Mother Creek Watershed entails approximately 3,184 acres in the Town of St. Johnsville and is the largest of the seven watersheds found within the Town.  The predominant land use in this watershed is agriculture, with some of the steepest agricultural land in the County.

            The Timmerman Creek Watershed encompasses approximately 2,409 acres of land area in the Town of St. Johnsville.  This watershed has its headwaters on State land in the Town of Oppenheim in Fulton County.  There are many waterfalls on this creek as it tumbles down to the Mohawk River.  At one time, the water was used to power mills along Mill Road which follows this aesthetic stream. 

            The Zimmerman Creek Watershed consists of approximately 623 acres in the Town of St. Johnsville.  This Creek has no limitations and is used for the Village of St. Johnsville’s water supply for part of the year.  This creek has several picturesque waterfalls.  Zimmerman Creek runs right through the Town on its way to the Mohawk River.

            Information of the above referenced watersheds was obtained from the Montgomery County Water Quality Committee.

Flood Prone Areas

Flood land is the land area adjacent to a body of water which gets covered by water during periods of flooding.  Flood lands are important because of their water carrying capacity.  One must be careful when building on flood lands or floodplains because development on these areas can endanger human life and property.  Damming, filling, or leveling these floodplains decreases their storage capacity and increases flood velocity and the flood potential downstream.  Floodplains also provide open space and scenic vistas which can give a community a character all its own.

            In 1983 the Town of St. Johnsville joined the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Program.  FEMA produced maps of the Town showing areas of 100 to 500 year flooding potential (See Flood Zone Map on page ____).  This map shows that areas of 100 and 500 year flooding occur along the Mohawk River and East Canada Creek.

Wetlands

            Wetlands are tracts of low-lying lands that are saturated with moisture and act as sponges that absorb excess runoff and thus reduce flooding potential.

            Wetlands are important in many ways and contribute positively to the social, economic, and environmental health of our Nation.  Wetlands act as natural flood control devices by storing runoff from heavy rains and snow melts.  They also protect the water quality in lakes, streams, rivers, and wells by filtering pollutants, sediments, and nutrients from runoff.  Wetlands support a great variety of wildlife and are essential breeding grounds for several rare and endangered species.  Wetlands, by providing beautiful open space, enhance the quality of life, private property values, and tourism.

            Due to their importance, wetlands are regulated by New York State.  New York State Freshwater Wetlands are mapped by the Department of Environmental Conservation.  The New York State DEC maps wetlands that are at least 12.4 acres in size.  State regulations prohibit the disturbance of wetlands (without a permit) and prohibit development within 100 feet of a wetland boundary.

            New York State Freshwater Wetlands in the Town of St. Johnsville are mainly found along the flood plain of the Mohawk River.   (See N.Y. State D.E.C. Wetlands Map on page ___).  Since this is not the only places within the Town that contain wetlands, the New York State Freshwater Wetlands Map should be referenced for site specific areas. 

            In addition to New York State regulated and mapped wetlands, there also exists a large number of smaller and undocumented wetlands throughout the Town which are regulated by the United States Army Corps. of Engineers.  These Federal Wetlands have no minimum size, and their existence would have to be verified on a site/project specific basis according to vegetation, soil and hydrologic conditions.

Development Constraints

            A Development Constraints Map was produced for the Town depicting New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Wetlands, Slopes over 16%, and the 100 year flood zone.  These areas in the Town of St. Johnsville should be looked at closely in terms of cost and feasibility before being targeted for growth.