Main articles: Geography of New York City
'''.)]]
This article provides a brief introduction to both natural and manmade geographic features of
New York Harbor from a maritime or aquatic perspective, followed by a catalogue by type of features.
The system of waterways surrounding
Upper New York Bay forms one of the most intricate natural harbors in the world, a fact that is reflected in the diversity of place names. Although the overall form of the Harbor remains unchanged from the time of
Giovanni da Verrazzano, no part of it remains unaffected by human activity, and some parts, such as Hell Gate and Ellis Island have been almost completely altered. In the greatest hidden change, the navigational channels have been deepened from the natural 17 feet depth to 45 feet, in some places requiring blasting of
schist,
marble or
gneiss bedrock.
New York Harbor lies at the confluence of three major bodies of water.
The harbor opens onto the ''
New York Bight (
Atlantic Ocean)'' to the southeast and ''
Long Island Sound'' to the northeast. Both of these are essentially
marine bodies with both
tides and
saltwater, but the Sound compared to the Atlantic is about 20-30% less saline (as an
estuary), and the tide is about 3 hours later with as much as 70% more variation.
The ''
Hudson River'' adds a
fresher, non-tidal inflow from the north, although the tide and
brackishness extend well up river.
These three combine to generate an extremely complex system of tides and currents throughout the extended hydrologic system from
Albany to
Montauk Point to the
Hudson Canyon region of the New York Bight. The New York Harbor Observing and Prediction System (
NYHOPS) utilizes information
from sensors, weather forecasts, and environment models to provide real-time forecasts of meteorological and oceanographic conditions in the area.
The list below includes features adjacent to of
New York City and neighboring
New Jersey that are part of the Harbor with a waterborne emphasis starting with natural features. Where possible the list proceeds from Lower Bay entrance approximately clockwise around Harbor. The alternative sorting is by jurisdiction.
Official references are the
NOAA Coastal pilot
[1], NOAA
nautical charts
[2], and
USGS topographic maps.
[3]
Many jurisdictional issues appear in U.S. law.
[4]
Rivers and streams
Tidal straits
Bays, inlets and coves
Islands
New Jersey
★
Robbins Reef
★ Plum Island, Sandy Hook Bay
★ Ellis Island
[5]
New York
Land features
'New Jersey'
★
Paulus Hook
★
Sandy Hook
★
Bergen Point
★
Constable Hook
'New York'
★
Coney Island (formerly an island)
★ Fort Washington Point
★
Red Hook
★
Rockaway Point
★
Rodman's Neck
★
Throgs Neck
★
Wards Point
★
Willets Point
Banks and shoals
'Lower Bay'
★ East Bank
★ False Hook
★ Flynns Knoll
★ Old Orchard Shoal
★ Romer Shoal
★ West Bank | 'Upper Bay'
★ Bay Ridge Flats
★ Jersey Flats
★ Gowanus Flats
★ Dimond Reef | 'East River'
★ Ways Reef
★ Rhinelander Reef
★ Mill Rock
★ Holmes Rock
★ Hog Back
★ Lawrence Point Ledge
★ South Brother Ledge
★ College Point Reef |
Navigational channels
'Lower Bay'
★ Ambrose Channel
★ Swash Channel
★ Sandy Hook Channel
★ Terminal Channel
★ Atlantic Highland Anchorage
★ Chapel Hill South Channel
★ Coney Island Channel
★ Rockaway Inlet
★ Gravesend Bay Anchorage
★ Raritan Bay East Reach'Raritan Bay'
★ Raritan Bay West Reach
★ Seguine Point Bend
★ Red Bank Reach
★ Ward Point Bend (East & West)
★ Raritan River Cutoff
★
★ Perth Amboy Anchorage
★
★ South Amboy Reach
★ Ward Point Secondary Channel
★ Great Beds Reach'Jamaica Bay'
★ Runway Channel
★ Island Channel
★ Beach Channel | 'Arthur Kill'
★ Outerbridge Reach
★ Port Socony Reach
★ Port Reading Reach
★ Fresh Kills Reach
★ Tremley Point Reach
★ Pralls Island Reach
★ Gulfport Reach
★ Elizabeth Port Reach
★ South of Shooters Island Reach'Newark Bay'
★ North of Shooters Island Reach
★ Newark Bay South Reach
★ Newark Bay Middle Reach
★ Newark Bay North Reach
★ Port Newark Branch Channel
★ Port Newark Pierhead Channel
★ Elizabeth Channel
★ South Elizabeth Channel | 'Kill van Kull'
★ Bergen East Point Reach
★ Bergen West Point Reach
★ Constable Hook Reach'Upper Bay'
★ Pierhead Channel
★ Anchorage Channel[Hearing Notice for Department of the Army Corps of Engineers, N.Y.S. Department of Environmental Conservation 21/1/2004.Simplified map Bayonne Peninsula Chap. 6,CPIP Toolkit, PANYNJ.](_blank)
★ Red Hook Channel
★ Red Hook Flats Anchorage
★ Bayridge Channel
★ Greenville Channel
★ Claremont Terminal Channel
★ Buttermilk Channel'Hudson River'
★ Weehawken Edgewater Channel'East River'
★ East Channel
★ West Channel
★ South Brother Channel |
Port facilities
One of the many duties of the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is to develope trade interests in the New York-New Jersey area. The PA operates most of the containerized port facilities listed here, and also collaborates with the
Army Corps of Engineers to maintain shipping channels in the harbor.
'New Jersey' numerous privately operated bulk facilities, especially petroleum, not listed
★
Global Marine Terminal,
Jersey City— privately operated
★
Auto Marine Terminal,
Bayonne and
Jersey City— Port Authority
★
Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal,
Newark and
Elizabeth— Port Authority
'New York'
★ Brooklyn
★
★
Red Hook Container Terminal— Port Authority
★
★
South Brooklyn Marine Terminal— City of New York
★ Staten Island
★
★
Howland Hook Marine Terminal— Port Authority
Lights and lighthouses
For lists see
[6] and
[7].
Active unless noted.
'New Jersey'
★
Sandy Hook Lighthouse
★ Conover Beacon (Chapel Hill Front Range)
★ Romer Shoal Light
★ Great Beds Light
★ West Bank Light (Range Front)
★ Old Orchard Shoal Light
★
Robbins Reef Light
'New York'
★
Ambrose Light
★ Coney Island Light (Nortons Point)
★ Statue of Liberty (discontinued 1902)
★ Ambrose Lightship(to Scotland Station, NJ, 1933; decommissioned 1968)
★ Prince's Bay Light (decommissioned 1922)
★ New Dorp Light (Swash Channel Range Rear, decommissioned 1964)
★ Staten Island Range Lighthouse
★ Fort Wadsworth Light(decommissioned 1965)
★
Jeffreys Hook Light
★ Blackwell Island Lighthouse (decommissioned 1934)
★ Throgs Neck Light
★
Kings Point Light
★
Execution Rocks Lighthouse
★
Stepping Stones Light
Waterfront jurisdictions
★ '
New Jersey'
★
★ '
Monmouth County'
★
★
★ Waterwitch Highlands
★
★
★ Atlantic Highlands
★
★
★ Leonardo
★
★
★ Belford
★
★
★ Port Monmouth
★
★
★ Keansburg
★
★
★ Port Comfort
★
★
★ Union Beach
★
★
★ Keyport
★
★ '
Middlesex County'
★
★
★ Laurence Harbor
★
★
★ Morgan
★
★
★ South Amboy
★
★
★
Perth Amboy
★
★
★ Sewaren
★
★
★ Port Reading
★
★
★ Chrome
★
★
★ Carteret
★
★ '
Union County'
★
★
★ Tremley Point
★
★
★ Grasselli
★
★
★ Linden
★
★
★
Elizabeth
★
★
★
★ Elizabethport
★
★ '
Essex County'
★
★
★
Newark
★
★ '
Hudson County'
★
★
★
Bayonne
★
★
★
★
Port Johnson
★
★
★
Liberty State Park
★
★
★
Jersey City
★
★
★
Hoboken
★
★
★
Weehawken
★
★
★ Union City
★
★
★ West New York
★
★
★ North Bergen
★ '
New York'
★
★ '
New York City'
★
★
★ '
Manhattan',
New York County[8]★
★
★ '
Brooklyn',
Kings County
★
★
★
★
Floyd Bennett Field
★
★
★
★ Manhattan Beach
★
★
★
★ Brighton Beach
★
★
★
★ Coney Island
★
★
★
★ Gravesend
★
★
★
★ Bensonhurst
★
★
★
★ Fort Hamilton
★
★
★
★ Bath Beach
★
★
★
★ Bay Ridge
★
★
★
★ Red Hook
★
★
★
★ South Brooklyn
★
★
★
★ Brooklyn Heights
★
★
★ '
Queens',
Queens County
★
★
★ :Lower Bay
★
★
★
★ Far Rockaway
★
★
★
★ Rockaway Point
★
★
★
★ Breezy Point
★
★
★ :East River
★
★
★
★ Flushing
★
★
★
★ Willets Point
★
★
★
★
La Guardia Airport
★
★
★ '
The Bronx',
Bronx County
★
★
★
★ City Island
★
★
★ '
Staten Island',
Richmond County
★
★
★
★ Port Richmond
★
★
★
★ Elm Park
★
★
★
★ Mariners Harbor
★
★
★
★ West New Brighton
★
★
★
★ Sailors Snug Harbor
★
★
★
★ New Brighton
★
★
★
★ Tottenville
★
★
★
★ Charleston
★
★
★
★ Port Socony
★
★
★
★ Travis
★
★
★
★ Chelsea
★
★
★
★ St. George
★
★
★
★ Tompkinsville
Notes
1. Chapter 11, New York Harbor and Approaches, ''Coast Pilot 2'', 35th Edition, 2006, Office of Coast Survey, NOAA.
2. NOAA nautical charts
12327 ''New York Harbor'' (1:40,000 scale),
12324 ''Sandy Hook to Little Egg'',
12350 ''Jamaica Bay and Rockaway Inlet'',
12402,
12401 ''New York Lower Bay'',
12331 ''Raritan Bay and southern part of Arthur Kill'',
12332 ''Raritan River'',
12333 ''Kill van Kull and northern part of Arthur Kill'',
12334 ''New York Harbor (Upper Bay and Narrows'',
12337,
12335,
12338,
12341,
12339,
12366 ''Long Island Sound and East River'',
found on page Nautical charts Atlantic Coast charts online, Office of Coast Survey,
NOAA.
3.
USGS topographic maps, 1:24,000 scale, listed from west to east (in a row), then north to south:
★ Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Mamaroneck;
★ Orange, Weehawken, Central Park Flushing, Seacliff;
★ Elizabeth, Jersey City, Brooklyn, Jamaica, Lynbrook;
★ Perth Amboy, Arthur Kill The Narrows, Coney Island, Far Rockaway;
★ South Amboy, Keyport, Sandy Hook West, Sandy Hook East.
4. Title 33.Navigation And Navigable Waters USC. See Section 59.
5.
All of the landfill portion of Ellis Island beyond its 1834 waterfront is in Hudson, County, NJ. All water surrounding Liberty and Ellis Islands is in Hudson County.
6. of Historic Light Stations New Jersey Lighthouses and Inventory of Historic Light Stations New York Lighthouses NPS lists.
7. New York Lighthouses and New York Lighthouses Lighthouse Friends 2001-2005.
8.
Boundaries extend to mid-Hudson on the west, into the Upper Harbor south of Governors
Island, to the far pierhead line of the East River, Harlem River and Spuyten Duyvil. The exceptions are the additional areas of Marble Hill section included north of the Harlem River (bounded approximately by Johnson Avenue, West 230 Street) and Liberty and Ellis Islands to their original 1834 waterfront.
River
See also
New York Harbor.
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