Grasse River
The Grasse River or Grass River is a river in northern New York, in the United States. The river mainly flows northeast from the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains into the St. Lawrence Valley, making up what is known as the greater St. Lawrence River Drainage Basin along with other tributaries such as the Oswegatchie and Raquette rivers.
The river was named after François Joseph Paul, comte de Grasse, a French admiral and hero of the American Revolutionary War. He defeated British forces in the Battle of the Chesapeake, contributing to their surrender at Yorktown, ending the war.
Image:Grasse massena.JPG|thumb|The Grasse River upstream of Massena, @ Hwy 56
Image:Grasse River Massena 2006.jpg|thumb|The Grasse River in Massena Center
Image:Grasse River Massena dredging 1925.jpg|thumb|Dredging of the Grasse River
Image:grasse sirius 001.jpg|thumb|Sinking of the Steamer Sirius on the Grasse River
Image:grasse sirius 002.jpg|thumb|Another of the Steamer Sirius
The source
The river is created by a series of small ponds, lakes and streams located in the northern New York towns of Russell, Clare and Clifton. Two main branches of streams and ponds, known as the Northern Branch and Southern Branch, lay claim as the ultimate source. The southern branch is the dominant flow of the river, feeding off Moosehead Pond and Little Moosehead Pond, and is located near the hamlet of Degrasse. The weaker northern branch is fed from smaller ponds such as Clear Pond, Bullhead Pond and Horseshoe Pond near the hamlet of Russell, and runs through the Grasse River Wild Forest Reserve. The two branches meet in the town of Russell and form the main branch of the river, which slowly grows along its northeasterly track.This area of New York was first explored in the 1790s as part of the Macomb's Purchase, in which Alexander Macomb, a wealthy Revolutionary-Era American merchant purchased 3.6 million acres from New York State at 12 cents an acre. This area was divided into counties and townships which were established between 1800 and 1815. The area thrived on thick pine forests, stone quarries and the mining of various ores. On the St. Lawrence Valley floor, the pine forests were razed and the land used for agriculture, and later for industry.
Course
The Grasse River, along with the other tributaries to the St. Lawrence River, served as a water power source for several mills in the towns and hamlets along its course. Almost none of these mills has survived, but stone foundations, burned out furnaces, and other ancient structures can be located along its banks. Several Old World dams exist along the path of the Grasse River. Its so-called "twin" sister river, the Raquette, contains a series of old and new age hydropower dams.The Grasse River makes its way through many small hamlets and two major towns, Massena and Canton. From the town of Russell where its two source branches meet, the river makes its way into the village of Canton flowing mostly north away from the Adirondack foothills. It flows past the hamlets of Morley and Bucks Bridge into the town of Madrid.
The first of two major dams was built several yards west of New York State Route 345 in Madrid hamlet. Just south of the dam is the Madrid Municipal Park, which hosts several large events during the summer season. The Madrid Country Club is located upriver from the park on the northern bank. From this point, the river flows northwards to the hamlet of Chase Mills near Coles Creek State Park on the St. Lawrence River.
From Chase Mills, the river begins its northeasterly path into the town of Louisville passing through a series of small rapids or waterfalls, depending on the amount of water flowing. The river then flows into the township and village of Massena, passing by the Massena Rod & Gun Club on the northern bank, in the town of Louisville.
The Grasse River defines the northern edge of Massena's downtown district. At the southern end of the village, the Raquette River was the location of the Massena Health Spa and Health Spring. Located several yards east of the downtown bridge on the Grasse River is the second remaining major dam of the river, known as the Downtown Dam or "weir", standing only 3–4 feet tall. In the late 1990s, the midsection of the weir was breached and now lies several yards away from the dam.
The river continues to cut through the village of Massena to the eastern borders, where the old Massena Power Canal connects with the river. This canal was constructed by the Pittsburgh Reduction Company in the 1900s. The canal connects the Grasse River with the St. Lawrence River and was used to supply a hydropower dam. The dam was one of the first ten hydro-dams built in the United States, operating until 1956 when the St. Lawrence River was flooded for the St. Lawrence Seaway Project. The St. Lawrence River end of the canal is blocked off by a massive wall, known as the Massena Intake. On the Grasse River end, the cement and brick structure of the old powerhouse remains, without any equipment inside the original buildings.
The river from the old powerhouse onwards is calm and level to its mouth in the St. Lawrence River. This section of the river is the only section that can be traversed by motor or power boats, but activity is light as Lake St. Lawrence is the draw for boating in the area. This was only possible during the construction of the old powerhouse, as the river was dredged to along its course to the St. Lawrence. At the mouth of the Grasse River is Snell Lock, part of the St. Lawrence Seaway Shipping System. Several hundred yards upriver from the mouth of the Grasse is a docking area which contains a large floating crane with replacement doors for the locks, and the tugboat Robinson Bay, which is used for icebreaking in the spring.