Galop Island
Galop Island is located in New York
Galop Island
Galop Island
Location of Galop Island in New York State
Geography
LocationSt. Lawrence River
Coordinates44°45′55″N 75°24′02″W / 44.7653°N 75.4005°W / 44.7653; -75.4005
Area675 acres (273 ha)[1]
Highest elevation289 ft (88.1 m)[2]
Administration
StateNew York
CountySt. Lawrence
TownLisbon
OwnerNew York Power Authority

Galop Island is an uninhabited island in the Saint Lawrence River located in St. Lawrence County, northeast of Ogdensburg, New York.[2] The 675-acre (2.73 km2)[1] island is owned by the New York Power Authority and managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation as the undeveloped Galop Island State Park.[3]

Galop Island has historically been known by a variety of names, including Isle Aux Galloup, Gallou Island, Butternut Island, Dillingham Island, Dixon Island, Lalone Island, Lotus Island, Round Island, Sears Island, Tick Island, and Twin Island.[2][4]

Wildlife habitat

The island contains a mixture of shrubs, open areas and mature forests.[5] It is a known wintering area for bald eagles. A nearby area of the Saint Lawrence River, known as the Galop Island Pools, remains free of ice during the winter due to strong river currents and turbulence. The approximately 1,800 acres (7.3 km2) of open water is utilized by eagles and other migratory birds as a winter food source. The availability of open water during the winter is limited within the region; only three other areas within the Saint Lawrence River remain similarly free of ice.[3]

Approximately 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) of shallow bays along the river channel south of the island include spawning habitat for muskellunge, causing the area to be a regionally important sport fishing destination. The large, protected, shallow bays with variable water velocities found offshore from Galop Island are rare within the region. The bays additionally support migratory waterfowl during the spring and fall, and additional fish species, including brown bullhead, smallmouth bass, and yellow perch, are abundant.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Section O: Environmental Conservation and Recreation, Table O-9". 2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook (PDF). The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. 2014. p. 672. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Galop Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Galop Island Pools Coastal Fish & Wildlife Habitat Assessment Form" (PDF). NYS Department of State. May 15, 1994. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  4. ↑ Curtis, Gates, ed. (1894). "The Town of Lisbon". Our County and its People - A Memorial Record of St. Lawrence County, New York. The Boston History Company. p. 321. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Galop Island Bays Coastal Fish & Wildlife Habitat Assessment Form" (PDF). NYS Department of State. May 15, 1994. Retrieved February 13, 2016.


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