Home > Basics > LakesBlack LakeCoordinates: 42.96784°N 76.76218°W Elevation: 380 feet/115.8 meters Google Earth View (Black Lake (left) and Main Pool (right)
LocationBlack Lake is located at the northern end of Cayuga Lake at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in Seneca County. Physical FeaturesIrregularly shaped and rather low in elevation compared to a lot of the lakes in the region, Black Lake is thought to have been at one time attached to Cayuga Lake. It sits in the organically rich muck marshlands of the Savannah plain--a region known for its potatoes and the Montezuma Mosquito Fest. Of considerable biological and geological significance, the Montezuma Marshes have been designated a National Natural Landmark.
The 91-acre Black Lake is fed by two underground salt springs, which add enough salt to the lake water that portions of it don't freeze in the winter. (For more information on salt, see salt mines.
The level of much of the water at the refuge is regulated by dikes, which are opened at certain times of the year to flood the area for migrating birds. When this happens, a wet area to the east of the lake called the Main Pool joins the lake. When flooded in this manner, the area becomes a 1,600-acre wetland. AccessHuman access to the lake is prohibited, however, there is a parking lot and an overlook on a rise just to the west of the lake on State Route 89, which runs through the refuge. You can observe the lake and its activity from that point. Using a spotting scope is helpful. Wildlife WatchingThe refuge is considered one of the best wildlife-watching spots in the Finger Lakes region. At the lake, you should be able to see muskrats, beaver, river otter, and an extensive list of birds, including mallards, black ducks, canvasbacks, ring-necked ducks, and Canada and snow geese. Both bald eagles and osprey nest at the refuge. Parks, Forests and Wildlife Management AreasNearby Places of InterestWomen's Rights National Historical Park Accommodations--Bed & Breakfasts56 Cayuga St. Seneca Falls, NY 13148 800-914-0145 The Guion House Bed & Breakfast 32 Cayuga St. Seneca Falls, NY 13148 800-631-8919 Hubbell House on VanCleef Lake 42 Cayuga St. Seneca Falls, NY 13148 315-568-9690 John Morris Manor Bed & Breakfast 2138 State Route 89 Seneca Falls, NY 13148 866-484-4218 Locustwood Inn 3563 State Route 89 Seneca Falls, NY 13148 315-568-8129 VanCleef Homestead Bed & Breakfast 86 Cayuga St. Seneca Falls, NY 13148 800-323-8668 Accommodations--CampgroundsOak Orchard Marina & Campground State Rt. 89 at May's Point Savannah, NY 13148 315-365-3000 Accommodations--Rentals2850 Armitage Rd. Savannah, NY 13146 315-365-2249
Created 10 August 2011
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