The Mongaup River is a

stream A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. It is a tributary to the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

Etymology

The name 'Mongaup' is derived from an Indian language; probably meaning "dancing feather", or "huckeberry valley". Variant spellings include "Mangawping River", "Mingwing River", "Mon-gaw-ping River" and "Mongaap River".

Course

The Mongaup River originates as the East Mongaup River, between

Harris Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine) * Harris, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan Scotland * Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle o ...

and

South Fallsburg South Fallsburg is a hamlet and census-designated place in Sullivan County, New York, United States. South Fallsburg is located within the Town of Fallsburg at (41.716489, -74.630279). History South Fallsburg is located in the one-time resort ...

. It officially takes on the name of Mongaup River after it goes under

NY 17 New York State Route 17 (NY 17) is a major state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in Mina and follows the Southern T ...

. Then, the river flows mostly southwest, with an occasional sharp curve, until it joins with the West Branch Mongaup River, where it then makes a sharp turn south, after it passes under

NY 17B New York State Route 17B (NY 17B) is a state highway located entirely within Sullivan County, New York, in the United States. It connects the hamlet of Callicoon at its western end with the Monticello area in the east, ending at a junc ...

in Mongaup Valley, New York. About 3,100 feet from the bridge (952 meters), the river widens into the Swinging Bridge Reservoir. It continues through the Swinging Bridge Reservoir for , until it reaches the Swinging Bridge Hydroelectric Dam. From there, it continues south as a small stream, until it flows under Forestburgh Road (County Route 43). From there, it one again widens into the Mongaup Falls Reservoir, which continues for . Then, the river once again passes through a hydroelectric dam, and is reduced to a small stream again. After the dam, it travels east for a small segment, and then bends south again. After joining with Black Brook, it then continues further south as the Rio Reservoir, closely followed on the east side by Plank Road. The Rio Reservoir flows south for , until it reaches the Rio Dam, another hydroelectric power station. The river continues south for about , until it performs a turn in the southeast direction, only to then flow on westward for about , and then bend south again, towards the

for until it passes under

NY 97 New York State Route 97 (NY 97) is a north–south scenic route in southern New York in the United States. It runs from U.S. Route 6 (US 6) and US 209 in Port Jervis to NY 17 (Future Interstate 86) in Hancock. Its ...

and beside the Mongaup River Trail, and flows into the

Hydroelectric power

The Mongaup River features three hydroelectric dams along its course, all owned by Eagle Creek Renewable Energy. The dams are located at the end of the Swinging Bridge, Mongaup Falls, and Rio Reservoirs. All three dams together produce about 60 million kilowatt hours of hydroelectric power, which goes to serve the citizens of

Attractions

The Mongaup River Valley features a handful of restaurants, hotels, and attractions, making it popular for tourists who are visiting the area. The river features multiple public boat launches on the Swinging Bridge and Rio Reservoirs; and there is a large marina on the Swinging Bridge Reservoir which offers a restaurant and boat rentals. The reservoir has also been stocked with fish by a local nature agency, which makes it a popular destination for fishermen and boaters. Near from where it joins with the Delaware River, the Mongaup River also features the Mongaup River Trail, which runs along the river for . However, there are very high amounts of boat traffic in the summer months, which has caused some local homeowners to complain. Further down the river, there is a whitewater rafting agency that offers guided

Whitewater Rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

tours of the river. Overall, the entire region has seen significantly higher tourism rates, which may cause even more people to flock to these locations.

Crossings

The Mongaup River is crossed several times, by a variety of roads and highways. Below is a complete listing, ordered from north to south.

References