East River

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the East River in New York City. For other uses, see East River (disambiguation).

The East River is shown in red on this satellite photo of New York City.

The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island (including the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn) from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland. In reference to its connection to Long Island Sound, it was once also known as the Sound River.^[1]

[edit] History

The river was formed approximately 11,000 years ago at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation.^[2] The distinct change in the shape of the river channel between the lower and upper portions is evidence of this glacial activity. The upper portion (from Long Island Sound to Hell Gate, running largely perpendicular to the glacial motion, is wide, meandering, and has deep narrow bays on both banks, scoured out by the glacier's movement. The lower portion (from Hell Gate to New York Bay runs north-south, parallel to the glacial motion. It is much narrower, with straight banks. The bays that exist (or existed before being filled-in by human activity), are largely wide and shallow.

[edit] The Channel

Historical film of the east river, leading up to a final shot of the Brooklyn Bridge. (1903)

A few people typically drown in the rivers around New York City each year.^[3] The strength of the current foiled a 2007 effort to tap it for hydroelectricity.^[4]

Historically, the lower portion of the river (separating Manhattan from Brooklyn) was one of the busiest and most important channels in the world, particularly during the first three centuries of New York City's history. The Brooklyn Bridge, opened in 1883, was the first bridge to span the river, replacing frequent ferry service. (Some passenger ferry service remains between Queens and Manhattan.)

The Bronx River drains into the East River in the northern section of the strait.

North of Ward's Island, it is joined by the Bronx Kill. Along the east of Ward's Island, at approximately the strait's midpoint, it narrows into a channel called Hell Gate, which is spanned by both the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge, formerly called the Triboro Bridge, and the Hell Gate Bridge. On the south side of Ward's Island, it is joined by the Harlem River.