Schoharie Creek

Map of the Schoharie Creek drainage basin

Schoharie Creek near its source in the Catskills

Schoharie Creek in New York, USA flows north 93 miles (150 km) from the foot of Indian Head Mountain in the Catskill Mountains through the Schoharie Valley to the Mohawk River. It is twice impounded north of Prattsville to create New York City's Schoharie Reservoir and the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project.

Two notable bridge collapses have occurred on the Schoharie Creek. In 1987, two spans of the New York State Thruway collapsed. On August 28, 2011, the covered Old Blenheim Bridge collapsed due to flooding from Hurricane Irene.

The Erie Canal crossed over the creek by an aqueduct at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site.

Bridge collapses

New York State Thruway

Main article: Schoharie Creek Bridge collapse

An autumn view of the Schoharie Creek, facing Northwest from the Schoharie creek bridge

On the morning of April 5, 1987, after 30 years of service, two spans of the New York State Thruway bridge over the Schoharie Creek near Fort Hunter collapsed. Five vehicles fell into the flooded river, ten of the occupants died.

A subsequent investigation of the collapse determined the cause to be scour.

Old Blenheim Bridge

The Old Blenheim Bridge, one of the longest and oldest single-span covered bridges in the world, formerly spanned the creek. The bridge was destroyed on August 28, 2011 by flooding resulting from Hurricane Irene.

See also

• List of rivers in New York
• List of bridge disasters
• Bridge scour

External links

• The Collapse of the Schoharie Creek Bridge