The largest bodies of water in the county are a series of small lakes in the northern part of the Town of Homer and extending into Preble, and two lakes in the northern part of the latter named town. In the southwestern portion of the Town of Cortlandville, about three miles from Cortland village, are three small ponds, fed by springs, and furnishing in their bottoms an almost inexhaustible supply of marl of excellent quality. These deposits have been worked and a vast amount of superior quick-lime manufactured, since the locality was first settled. Marl is also found in smaller quantities and of an inferior quality in the Town of Preble and the northern part of Homer. 1885 History of Cortland County, H. P. Smith.
A little s.e. of Cortlandville are several small lakes, containing deposits of marl, from which an excellent quality of lime is manufactured....In the s.w. part of the town are three small ponds, fed by springs, and furnishing an almost unlimited supply of marl, from which an excellent quality of lime is manufactured. Crandalls Pond covers an area of 15 acres; Swains 6, and Chatterdons 4. The marl is generally of an ash color when first taken out, but the vegetable matter which it contains whitens upon exposure to the air. When partially dried, it is molded into the form of bricks, and these are thoroughly dried and burned. The greatest known thickness of these deposits is about 20 feet. 1860 French's Gazetteer of the State of New York, Cortland County.
On the south side of Lime Hollow Road, near the Town of Cortlandville Water Station, is a sizable marl pond which is bleached white in late summer. Most of the runoff and sparse spring water evaporates by August.
Marl is a clay-like substance rich in lime. It is mostly calcium carbonate leached up to ground level from bedrock below. Marl also contains calcium from algae that has decayed over long periods of time, and may contain shells of fresh water mollusks. Water in a marl pond can have a pH of 8 or 9. Cattails and water lilies don't grow in marl ponds with high pH levels.
The marl in this pond was mined by farmers during the 1800's. It was spread on fields to "sweeten the soil," or it was reduced by baking to make lime powder used in iron ore blast furnaces. Often marl was spread after trees and brush were cut and a new clearing was plowed. Marl acted as an acid neutralizer. Marl mining was seasonal and usually it was performed in August when the water levels were very low.
Marl ponds are formed when chunks of ice break off retreating glaciers and leave permanent holes in the earth's surface. Smaller vernal ponds, fed only by runoff water, are formed by the same process. Both marl and vernal ponds are called kettle ponds.
There are several marl ponds on the south side of Lime Hollow Road in the Town of Cortlandville, New York. They can be seen easily when walking along the old Lehigh Valley Railroad track, which is now a walking trail with tracks removed. The trail is incorporated within the Lime Hollow Nature Center.
Additional marl ponds are pictured below, including close up photos of plant life and decay. Click on the photos to enlarge.
Blodgett's book "Stories of Cortland County" says that several children drowned in these ponds and people found them oddly disturbing. It was rumored that one of them had no bottom, and a chain of over 300' was put down without touching bottom.
ReplyDeleteFolklore Im sure. I grew up playing around these ponds and are generally quite shallow.
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