View source for Finger Lakes

{{short description|Group of lakes in New York, United States}}
{{other uses of|Finger Lake}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name               = Finger Lakes
| native_name        = 
| other_name         = <!--    Images     -->
| image              = New York's Finger Lakes.jpg
| alt                = 
| caption            = Satellite view of the Finger Lakes region in late fall. [[Lake Ontario]] can be seen at the top left.
| image_bathymetry   = 
| alt_bathymetry     = 
| caption_bathymetry = <!--    Stats      -->
| location           = [[New York (state)|New York]]
| group              = 
| coordinates        = {{Coord|42|40|N|76|50|W|type:waterbody_region:US-NY_dim:200000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| type               = [[Finger lake]]s
| etymology          = 
| part_of            = [[Lake Ontario Basin]]
| inflow             = 
| rivers             = 
| outflow            = [[Oswego River (New York)|Oswego River]]
| oceans             = 
| catchment          = <!-- {{convert|VALUE|UNITS}} must be used -->
| basin_countries    = [[United States]]
| agency             = 
| designation        = 
| length             = <!-- {{convert|VALUE|UNITS}} must be used -->
| width              = <!-- {{convert|VALUE|UNITS}} must be used -->
| area               = <!-- {{convert|VALUE|UNITS}} must be used -->
| depth              = <!-- {{convert|VALUE|UNITS}} must be used -->
| max-depth          = <!-- {{convert|VALUE|UNITS}} must be used -->
| volume             = <!-- {{convert|VALUE|UNITS}} must be used -->
| residence_time     = 
| salinity           = 
| shore              = <!-- {{convert|VALUE|UNITS}} must be used -->
| elevation          = <!-- {{convert|VALUE|UNITS}} must be used -->
| temperature_high   = <!-- {{convert|VALUE|UNITS}} must be used -->
| temperature_low    = <!-- {{convert|VALUE|UNITS}} must be used -->
| frozen             = 
| islands            = 
| islands_category   = 
| sections           = 
| trenches           = 
| benches            = 
| cities             = [[Ithaca, New York|Ithaca]], [[Geneva, New York|Geneva]], [[Canandaigua, New York|Canandaigua]]
<!--      Map      -->| pushpin_map        = 
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt    = 
| pushpin_map_caption = <!--   Below       -->
| website            = 
| reference          = 
}}
{{Finger Lakes map}}
{{Regions of New York}}
The '''Finger Lakes''' are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south [[lake]]s located in an area called the ''Finger Lakes region'' in [[New York (state)|New York]], in the [[United States]]. This region straddles the northern and transitional edge of the Northern [[Allegheny Plateau]], known as the Finger Lakes Uplands and Gorges ecoregion, and the Ontario Lowlands ecoregion of the [[Great Lakes Lowlands]].<ref name="BryceOthers2010a">Bryce, S.A., Griffith, G.E., Omernik, J.M., Edinger, G., Indrick, S., Vargas, O., and Carlson, D., 2010, [https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/ecoregion-download-files-state-region-2 ''Ecoregions of New York'']: Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey, map scale 1:1,250,000.</ref>

The geological term ''[[finger lake]]'' refers to a long, narrow lake in an [[Overdeepening|overdeepened]] [[glacial]] valley, while the proper name ''Finger Lakes'' goes back to the late 19th century.<ref name="MullinsOthers1996a">Mullins, H.T., Hinchey, E.J., Wellner, R.W., Stephens, D.B., Anderson, W.T., Dwyer, T.R. and Hine, A.C., 1996. ''Seismic stratigraphy of the Finger Lakes: a continental record of Heinrich event H-1 and Laurentide ice sheet instability''. ''Geological Society of America Special Paper'' 311, pp.1-36 {{ISBN|9780813723112}}</ref><ref name="KozlowskiOthers2014a">Kozlowski, A. L., and Graham, B. L., eds., 2014, ''Glacial geology of Cayuga County of the Eastern Finger Lakes–lakes, lore and landforms:'' ''Guidebook for the 77th Annual Reunion of the Northeastern Friends of the Pleistocene Meeting'', Auburn, New York, 140 p.</ref> [[Cayuga Lake|Cayuga]] and [[Seneca Lake (New York)|Seneca]] Lakes are among the deepest in the United States, measuring {{convert|435|and|618|ft|m|sp=us}}, respectively, with bottoms well below sea level. Though none of the lakes' widths exceed {{convert|3.5|mi|km|sp=us}}, Seneca Lake is {{convert|38.1|mi|km}} long, and at {{convert|66.9|mi2|km2}} is the largest in total area.<ref name="MullinsOthers1996a" />

== Name ==
The origin of the name ''Finger Lakes'' is uncertain.<ref name="Brewster2016a">Brewster, M., 2016a. [https://exploringupstate.com/how-the-finger-lakes-was-named/ ''How The Finger Lakes Was Named: Part 1.''] [https://exploringupstate.com/blog/ ''Exploring Upstate.'']</ref> Currently, the oldest known published use of ''finger lakes'' for this group of 11 lakes is in a [[United States Geological Survey]] paper by [[Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin|Thomas Chamberlin]]<ref name="Chamberlin1882a">Chamberlin, T.C., 1882, ''Preliminary paper on the terminal moraine of the second glacial epoch:'' ''Third Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey'', pp.291–402.</ref> that was published in 1883. This paper was later cited and ''Finger Lakes'' formally used as a proper name by R. S. Tarr<ref name="Tarr1893a">Tarr, R.S., 1893. ''Lake Cayuga a rock basin.'' ''Bulletin of the Geological Society of America'', 5(1), pp.339-356.</ref> in a [[Geological Society of America]] paper published in 1893.<ref name="Brewster2016b">Brewster, M., 2016b. [https://exploringupstate.com/how-the-finger-lakes-was-named-part-2/ ''How The Finger Lakes Was Named: Part 2.''] [https://exploringupstate.com/blog/ ''Exploring Upstate.'']</ref> Older usage of ''Finger Lakes'' in either maps, papers, reports, or any other documents remains to be verified.<ref name="Brewster2016a" />

== Lakes ==
The eleven Finger Lakes, from west to east, are: 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Summary
|-
! Name !! Elevation !! data-sort-type=Number | Area !! Length !! Maximum width !! Maximum depth !! Location || Settlements
|-
| [[Conesus Lake]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/25575.html|title=Conesus Lake Facts|website=www.dec.ny.gov|publisher=[[New York State Department of Environmental Conservation]]|location=[[Albany, New York]]|access-date=2022-01-01}}</ref> || {{convert|818|ft}} || {{convert|3420|acre}} || {{convert|8|mi}} || {{convert|1|mi}} || {{convert|66|ft}} || [[Livingston County, New York|Livingston County]]: [[Conesus, New York|Conesus]], [[Geneseo, New York|Geneseo]], [[Groveland, New York|Groveland]], [[Livonia, New York|Livonia]] || [[Lakeville, New York|Lakeville]]
|-
| [[Hemlock Lake]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/25580.html|title=Hemlock Lake Facts|website=www.dec.ny.gov|publisher=[[New York State Department of Environmental Conservation]]|location=[[Albany, New York]]|access-date=2022-01-01}}</ref> || {{convert|905|ft}} || {{convert|1800|acre}} || {{convert|7|mi}} || {{convert|0.5|mi}} || {{convert|91|ft}} || [[Livingston County, New York|Livingston County]]: [[Conesus, New York|Conesus]], [[Livonia, New York|Livonia]], [[Springwater, New York|Springwater]]<BR>[[Ontario County, New York|Ontario County]]: [[Canadice, New York|Canadice]], [[Richmond, New York|Richmond]] ||
|-
| [[Canadice Lake]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/25573.html|title=Canadice Lake Facts|website=www.dec.ny.gov|publisher=[[New York State Department of Environmental Conservation]]|location=[[Albany, New York]]|access-date=2022-01-01}}</ref> || {{convert|1096|ft}} || {{convert|649|acre}} || {{convert|3|mi}} || {{convert|0.3|mi}} || {{convert|95|ft}} || [[Ontario County, New York|Ontario County]]: [[Canadice, New York|Canadice]] ||
|-
| [[Honeoye Lake]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/25579.html|title=Honeoye Lake Facts|website=www.dec.ny.gov|publisher=[[New York State Department of Environmental Conservation]]|location=[[Albany, New York]]|access-date=2022-01-01}}</ref> || {{convert|804|ft}} || {{convert|1772|acre}} || {{convert|4.5|mi}} || {{convert|0.8|mi}} || {{convert|30|ft}} ||[[Ontario County, New York|Ontario County]]: [[Canadice, New York|Canadice]], [[Richmond, New York|Richmond]] || [[Honeoye, New York|Honeoye]]
|-
| [[Canandaigua Lake]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/25578.html|title=Canandaigua Lake Facts|website=www.dec.ny.gov|publisher=[[New York State Department of Environmental Conservation]]|location=[[Albany, New York]]|access-date=2022-01-01}}</ref> || {{convert|688|ft}} || {{convert|10558|acre}} || {{convert|15.5|mi}} || {{convert|1.5|mi}} || {{convert|276|ft}} || [[Ontario County, New York|Ontario County]]: [[Canandaigua (town), New York|Canandaigua]], [[Gorham, New York|Gorham]], [[South Bristol, New York|South Bristol]]<BR>[[Yates County, New York|Yates County]]: [[Italy, New York|Italy]], [[Middlesex, New York|Middlesex]] || [[Canandaigua, New York|Canandaigua]], [[Woodville, Ontario County, New York|Woodville]]
|-
| [[Keuka Lake]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/25577.html|title=Keuka Lake Facts|website=www.dec.ny.gov|publisher=[[New York State Department of Environmental Conservation]]|location=[[Albany, New York]]|access-date=2022-01-01}}</ref> || {{convert|715|ft}} || {{convert|11584|acre}} || {{convert|19.6|mi}} || {{convert|1.9|mi}} || {{convert|183|ft}} || [[Steuben County, New York|Steuben County]]: [[Pulteney, New York|Pulteney]], [[Urbana, New York|Urbana]], [[Wayne, New York|Wayne]]<BR>[[Yates County, New York|Yates County]]: [[Barrington, New York|Barrington]], [[Jerusalem, New York|Jerusalem]], [[Milo, New York|Milo]] || [[Branchport, New York|Branchport]], [[Hammondsport, New York|Hammondsport]], [[Penn Yan, New York|Penn Yan]]
|-
| [[Seneca Lake (New York)|Seneca Lake]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/25574.html|title=Seneca Lake Facts|website=www.dec.ny.gov|publisher=[[New York State Department of Environmental Conservation]]|location=[[Albany, New York]]|access-date=2022-01-01}}</ref> || {{convert|445|ft}} || {{convert|43343|acre}} || {{convert|38|mi}} || approx {{convert|3|mi|0}} || {{convert|618|ft}} || [[Ontario County, New York|Ontario County]]: [[Geneva (town), New York|Geneva]]<BR>[[Schuyler County, New York|Schuyler County]]: [[Dix, New York|Dix]], [[Hector, New York|Hector]], [[Reading, New York|Reading]]<BR>[[Seneca County, New York|Seneca County]]: [[Fayette, New York|Fayette]], [[Lodi, New York|Lodi]], [[Ovid (town), New York|Ovid]], [[Romulus, New York|Romulus]], [[Varick, New York|Varick]], [[Waterloo (town), New York|Waterloo]]<BR>[[Yates County, New York|Yates County]]: [[Benton, New York|Benton]], [[Milo, New York|Milo]], [[Starkey, New York|Starkey]], [[Torrey, New York|Torrey]] || [[Dresden, Yates County, New York|Dresden]], [[Geneva, New York|Geneva]], [[Watkins Glen, New York|Watkins Glen]]
|-
| [[Cayuga Lake]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/36544.html|title=Cayuga Lake Facts|website=www.dec.ny.gov|publisher=[[New York State Department of Environmental Conservation]]|location=[[Albany, New York]]|access-date=2022-01-01}}</ref> || {{convert|381|ft}} || {{convert|42956|acre}} || {{convert|38|mi}} || {{convert|3.5|mi}} || {{convert|435|ft}} || [[Cayuga County, New York|Cayuga County]]: [[Aurelius, New York|Aurelius]], [[Genoa, New York|Genoa]], [[Ledyard, New York|Ledyard]], [[Springport, New York|Springport]]<BR>[[Seneca County, New York|Seneca County]]: [[Covert, New York|Covert]], [[Fayette, New York|Fayette]], [[Ovid (town), New York|Ovid]], [[Romulus, New York|Romulus]], [[Seneca Falls, New York|Seneca Falls]], [[Varick, New York|Varick]]<BR>[[Tompkins County, New York|Tompkins County]]: [[Ithaca (town), New York|Ithaca]], [[Lansing, New York|Lansing]], [[Ulysses, New York|Ulysses]] || [[Aurora, Cayuga County, New York|Aurora]], [[Ithaca, New York|Ithaca]], [[Lansing (village), New York|Lansing]]
|-
| [[Owasco Lake]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/36554.html|title=Owasco Lake Facts|website=www.dec.ny.gov|publisher=[[New York State Department of Environmental Conservation]]|location=[[Albany, New York]]|access-date=2022-01-01}}</ref> || {{convert|712|ft}} || {{convert|6665|acre}} || {{convert|11.1|mi}} || {{convert|1.3|mi}} || {{convert|177|ft}} || [[Cayuga County, New York|Cayuga County]]: [[Fleming, New York|Fleming]], [[Moravia, New York|Moravia]], [[Niles, New York|Niles]], [[Owasco, New York|Owasco]], [[Scipio, New York|Scipio]], [[Venice, New York|Venice]] || [[Auburn, New York|Auburn]]
|-
| [[Skaneateles Lake]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/36556.html|title=Skaneateles Lake Facts|website=www.dec.ny.gov|publisher=[[New York State Department of Environmental Conservation]]|location=[[Albany, New York]]|access-date=2022-01-01}}</ref> || {{convert|863|ft}} || {{convert|8960|acre}} || {{convert|16|mi}} || {{convert|1.5|mi}} || {{convert|300|ft}} || [[Cayuga County, New York|Cayuga County]]: [[Niles, New York|Niles]], [[Sempronius, New York|Sempronius]]<BR>[[Cortland County, New York|Cortland County]]: [[Scott, New York|Scott]]<BR>[[Onondaga County, New York|Onondaga County]]: [[Skaneateles (town), New York|Skaneateles]], [[Spafford, New York|Spafford]] || [[Skaneateles (village), New York|Skaneateles]]
|-
| [[Otisco Lake]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/36552.html|title=Otisco Lake Facts|website=www.dec.ny.gov|publisher=[[New York State Department of Environmental Conservation]]|location=[[Albany, New York]]|access-date=2022-01-01}}</ref> || {{convert|787|ft}} || {{convert|1877|acre}} || {{convert|5.4|mi}} || {{convert|0.75|mi}} || {{convert|76|ft}} || [[Onondaga County, New York|Onondaga County]]: [[Marcellus, New York|Marcellus]], [[Spafford, New York|Spafford]] ||
|}
Seneca, Cayuga, Skaneateles, Owasco, Keuka, and Canandaigua are considered the major Finger Lakes, while Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, Honeoye, and Otisco are considered the minor Finger Lakes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-27 |title=What Are The Finger Lakes? |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/lakes/what-are-the-finger-lakes.html |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=WorldAtlas |language=en-US}}</ref>

Numerous nearby lakes have been excluded from the traditional list of the lakes. All eleven are part of the Lake Ontario drainage basin. [[Waneta Lake|Waneta]] and [[Lamoka Lake|Lamoka]] lakes, located southeast of Keuka Lake, are sometimes called the "fingernail" lakes, but are part of the [[Susquehanna River]] [[Drainage basin|watershed]], draining into a tributary of the [[Chemung River]].<ref name="lifeinthefingerlakes.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.lifeinthefingerlakes.com/whats-in-a-name-the-legend-behind-the-11-finger-lakes/|title = What's in a Name? – the legend behind the 11 Finger Lakes|date = 31 December 2015}}</ref> [[Silver Lake, Wyoming County, New York|Silver Lake]], which has the same geological characteristics as the Finger Lakes and is sometimes regarded as the "12th" Finger Lake, has traditionally been excluded due to its distance from the others, west of the Genesee River.<ref name="lifeinthefingerlakes.com" /> [[Onondaga Lake]] and [[Cazenovia Lake]] to the east have similarly been excluded. [[Oneida Lake]], to the northeast of [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]], is sometimes included as the "thumb", although it is shallow and somewhat different in character from the rest.<ref name="lifeinthefingerlakes.com" />

[[File:Overview of the Great Lakes from orbit.jpg|thumb|left|The Finger Lakes are in the center bottom of this west facing image; [[Lake Erie]] (upper left), [[Lake Huron]] (upper right), and [[Lake Ontario]] (lower right) are three of the [[Great Lakes]]]]

== Quaternary geology ==
[[File:S. Main Bench.jpg|thumb|right|Seneca Lake, from South Main Street in [[Geneva, New York]].]]
These glacial [[finger lake]]s originated as a series of northward-flowing streams. Around two million years ago, the area was glaciated by the first of many continental glaciers as the [[Laurentide Ice Sheet]] moved southward from the [[Hudson Bay]] area. During the glacial maximums, [[Subglacial stream|subglacial]] [[meltwater]] and glacial ice widened, deepened, and accentuated the existing river valleys to form subglacial [[tunnel valley]]s.<ref name="MullinsOthers1989a">Mullins, H.T. and Hinchey, E.J., 1989. ''Erosion and infill of New York Finger Lakes: Implications for Laurentide ice sheet deglaciation''. ''Geology'', 17(7), pp.622-625.</ref> Glacial debris, possibly [[terminal moraine]] left behind by the receding ice, acted as dams, allowing lakes to form. Despite the deep erosion of the valleys, the surrounding uplands show little evidence of glaciation, suggesting the ice was thin, or at least unable to cause much erosion at higher elevations. The deep cutting by glacial erosion left some [[Valley#Hanging valleys|tributaries hanging]] high above the lakes—both Seneca and Cayuga have tributaries hanging as much as {{cvt |120 |m}} above the valley floors.<ref name="MullinsOthers1996a"/><ref name="MullinsOthers1989a"/> Based on sediment cores, seismic stratigraphy, and radiocarbon dates, the finger lakes became ice-free about 14,400 [[Before Present|BP]] calendar. At this time scouring by ice and meltwater ceased and these lakes filled initially with [[proglacial lake]] [[rhythmite]]s. The deposition of proglacial lake rhythmites occurred between 14,400 and 13,900 BP calendar. After the margins of the Laurentide Ice Sheet retreated into the Ontario lowlands after 13,900 BP calendar, the accumulation, at first, of massive gray clays followed by dark gray to black, laminated, organic-rich muds, accumulated without interruption until present within the Finger Lakes.<ref name="MullinsOthers1996a"/><ref name="EllisOthers2004a">Ellis, K.G., Mullins, H.T. and Patterson, W.P., 2004. ''Deglacial to middle Holocene (16,600 to 6000 calendar years BP) climate change in the northeastern United States inferred from multi-proxy stable isotope data, Seneca Lake, New York''. ''Journal of Paleolimnology'', 31(3), pp.343-361.</ref>

Detailed studies of [[Marine isotope stages|Marine Isotope Stage]] 3 and 4 age [[sediment]]s exposed at a locality called the ''Great Gully'' on the eastern flank of the Cayuga Lake, near [[Union Springs, New York]], record the presence of a [[paleolake]] that existed prior to Cayuga Lake. This paleolake, which is called '''Glacial Lake Nanette''', was a [[proglacial lake]] that filled the bedrock valley currently occupied by Cayuga Lake from about 50,000 [[Before Present|BP]] [[Radiocarbon dating#Calibration|calibrated]] until it was overridden by a glacial readvance that occurred prior to 30,000 [[Before Present|BP]] [[Radiocarbon dating#Calibration|calendar]] and buried it beneath younger glacial [[till]]. This research shows that bedrock valleys, in which the Finger lakes lie, existed prior to the Last Glacial Maximum and developed over multiple glaciations.<ref name="KozlowskiOthers2014a"/><ref name="KozlowskiOthers2018">Kozlowski, A.L., Bird, B., Mahan, Shannon, F., Robert, Teal, C., and Leone, J., 2018, ''Glacial Lake Nanette–a middle Wisconsin (MIS 4 – 3) proglacial lake in the Cayuga Basin'', in Thorleifson, L. H., ed., ''Geologic Mapping Forum 2018 abstracts:'' ''Minnesota Geological Survey Open-File Report,'' 18-1, p. 41.</ref>

Finally, although sub-glacial scour during the Last Glacial Maximum removed the majority of pre-existing sediment down to the [[bedrock]] bottoms of the Finger Lakes, patches of [[interglacial]] deposits are likely preserved locally within or near hanging valleys on the margins of their valleys. For example, the principal site that has been well-studied is the ''Fembank'' exposure of interglacial deposits on the west margin of Cayuga. This deposit provides direct evidence that some version of Cayuga Lake and its bedrock valley existed prior to Last Glacial Maximum.<ref name="KnuepferOthers2000a">Knuepfer, P.L.K., Hensler, S.M., 2000. ''A5: Proglacial Lakes, Southern Cayuga and Seneca Valleys.'' In ''Guide Book to Field Trips [of The] 72nd Annual Meeting New York Geological Association. September 29 - October 1, 2000.'' pp. 75-90.</ref><ref name="KarrowOthers2014a">Karrow, P.F., Bloom, A.L., Haas, J.N., Heiss, A.G., McAndrews, J.H., Miller, B.B., Morgan, A.V. and Seymour, K.L., 2009. ''The Fernbank interglacial site near Ithaca, New York, USA.'' ''Quaternary Research'', 72(1), pp.132-142.</ref>

==Ecological concerns==
Much of the Finger Lakes area lies upon the [[Marcellus Shale]] and the [[Utica Shale]], two prominent natural gas reserves. Due to the recent increase in [[fracking]] technology, the [[natural gas]] is now accessible for extraction. While some large landowners have leased their lands, and a number of small landowners would like to follow suit, many residents of the Finger Lakes oppose the fracking process due to concerns about groundwater contamination and the industrial impact of the extraction-related activities. The first [[direct actions]] and local legislative actions against fracking occurred in the Finger Lakes [[bioregion]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/local/2015/01/09/new-york-fracking-history/21534581/|title=How fracking got stopped in NY|first=T.|last=Wilber|website=Poughkeepsie Journal}}</ref> In December 2014, the [[Government of New York (state)|government of New York]] banned all fracking in the state, citing pollution risks.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/nyregion/cuomo-to-ban-fracking-in-new-york-state-citing-health-risks.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220102/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/nyregion/cuomo-to-ban-fracking-in-new-york-state-citing-health-risks.html |archive-date=2022-01-02 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=Citing Health Risks, Cuomo Bans Fracking in New York State|first=Thomas|last=Kaplan|newspaper=The New York Times|date=17 December 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Trash from [[New York City]] is also sent to landfills in the area.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2018/07/06/finger-lakes-landfills-booming-monroe-ontario-and-seneca-counties-residents-angry/754940002/|title=Investigation: NYC dumping more garbage than ever in Finger Lakes area|date=6 July 2018|work=Democrat & Chronicle}}</ref>

Since 2017, all of the Finger Lakes have experienced at least one outbreak of [[Harmful algal bloom|toxic algae]], and for most of the lakes it has become an annual occurrence.<ref>{{cite web |title=Toxic Algae Facts for Everyone to Know |url=https://www.fllt.org/toxic-algae-facts |website=Finger Lakes Land Trust |access-date=2024-12-10}}</ref>

== History ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2025}}
[[Image:Bluffpoint.jpg|thumb|right|Bluff Point on Keuka Lake]]
[[File:Granger Homestead.jpg|thumb|right|Granger Homestead, [[Canandaigua (city), New York|Canandaigua]]]]

The Finger Lakes region is a central part of the [[Iroquois]] homeland. The Iroquois tribes include the [[Seneca nation|Seneca]] and [[Cayuga nation|Cayuga]] nations, for which the two largest Finger Lakes are named. The [[Tuscarora (tribe)|Tuscarora]] tribe lived in the Finger Lakes region as well, from ca. 1720. The [[Onondaga (tribe)|Onondaga]] and [[Oneida tribe|Oneida]] tribes lived at the eastern edge of the region, closer to their namesake lakes, [[Oneida Lake]] and [[Onondaga Lake]]. The easternmost Iroquois tribe was the [[Mohawk nation|Mohawk]].

The Finger Lakes region contains sites of unknown cultural affiliation and age. The [[Bluff Point Stoneworks]] is one such site as its age and who may have constructed these enigmatic stone structures has not been determined.

During colonial times, many other tribes moved to the Finger Lakes region, seeking the protection of the Iroquois. For example, in 1753, remnants of several Virginia [[Sioux|Siouan]] tribes, collectively called the [[Tutelo]]-[[Saponi]], moved to the town of [[Coreorgonel]] at the south end of Cayuga Lake near present-day Ithaca and lived there until 1779, when their village was destroyed by the [[Sullivan Expedition]].

Iroquois towns in the Finger Lakes region included the Seneca town of [[Geneseo (town), New York|Gen-nis-he-yo]] (present-day Geneseo), [[Kanadaseaga]] (Seneca Castle, near present-day Geneva), [[Goiogouen]] (Cayuga Castle, east of Cayuga Lake), [[Chonodote]] (Cayuga town, present-day Aurora), [[Catherine's Town (Seneca town)|Catherine's Town]] (near present-day [[Watkins Glen, New York|Watkins Glen]]) and [[Ganondagan State Historic Site]] in [[Victor, New York]].

As one of the most powerful Indian nations during colonial times, the Iroquois were able to prevent European colonization of the Finger Lakes region for nearly two centuries after first contact, often playing the French off against the British interests in savvy demonstrations of political competence. The renowned ingenuity and adaptability of the Iroquois people were key tools of resistance against hostile European powers rapidly spreading throughout North America, eager to dominate and increasingly brutal toward Native Americans in the Finger Lakes and beyond.

By the late 18th century, with the French governmental influence gone from Canada, Iroquois power had weakened relative to the steady growth in European-Americans' populations, and internal strife eroded the political unity of the [[Iroquois Confederacy]] as it faced pressures from colonists itching to move west and a desire to keep them out of Amerindian lands. During the [[American Revolutionary War]], some Iroquois sided with the British and some with the Americans, resulting in civil war among the Iroquois. In the late 1770s, British-allied Iroquois attacked various American frontier settlements, prompting counter-attacks, culminating in the [[Sullivan Expedition]] of 1779, which destroyed most of the Iroquois towns and effectively broke Iroquois power. After the Revolutionary War, the Iroquois and other Indians of the region were assigned reservations. Most of their land, including the Finger Lakes region, was opened up to purchase and settlement.

Roughly the western half of the Finger Lakes region comprised the [[Phelps and Gorham Purchase]] of 1790. The region was rapidly settled at the turn of the 19th century, largely by a westward migration from [[New England]], and to a lesser degree by northward influx from Pennsylvania. The regional architecture reflects these area traditions of the Federal and [[Greek Revival]] periods.

==Notable places==

[[File:Canadice Lake in the Finger Lakes.jpg|left|thumb|Canadice Lake is surrounded by the Hemlock–Canadice State Forest.]]

The Finger Lakes region, together with the [[Genesee Country]] of Western New York, has been referred to as the [[burned-over district]].<ref>{{citation |first1= Glenn C. |last1= Altschuler |first2= Jan M. |last2= Saltzgaber |url= https://historical.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/cul.cdl/docviewer?did=cdl166 |title= Revivalism, Social Conscience, and Community in the Burned-over District: the Trial of Rhoda Bement |publisher= Cornell University Press |place= Ithaca, NY |year= 1983 |isbn= 0801415411 |lccn= 82014296 |oclc= 8805286 }}</ref> There, in the 19th century, the [[Second Great Awakening]] was a revival of [[Christianity]]; some new [[religion]]s were also formed.

The region was active in reform and utopian movements. Many of its [[Underground Railroad]] sites have been documented. For example, the [[Harriet Tubman]] Home at [[Auburn, NY|Auburn]] recalls the life and work of the African-American "Moses of her people."

On the northern end of the Finger Lakes are also [[Seneca Falls (village), New York|Seneca Falls]], the birthplace of the [[women's suffrage]] movement; [[Waterloo (village), New York|Waterloo]], the birthplace of [[Memorial Day]]; and [[Palmyra (village), New York|Palmyra]], the birthplace of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]. An annual outdoor drama, The ''Hill [[Cumorah]] Pageant'', produced by the church, draws thousands of visitors each year.

[[Hammondsport, New York|Hammondsport]] was the home of aviation pioneer [[Glenn Curtiss]], and favorable air currents make the area a popular spot for [[Glider aircraft|glider]] pilots. [[Elmira, New York|Elmira]], just to the south, was the home of [[Mark Twain]] in his later life, and the site of an infamous [[American Civil War|Civil War]] prison. [[Corning (city), New York|Corning]] is most noted as the home of [[Corning Glass Works]] and the [[Corning Museum of Glass]]. [[Hornell, New York|Hornell]], just southwest of the Finger Lakes, was a major [[railroad]] center; [[locomotive]]s were repaired there for many years and rail passenger cars are built there today (2022).<ref>{{cite news |title=Alstom awarded $1.8 billion Metra contract, hundreds of new jobs coming to Hornell |date=Jan 13, 2021 |url=https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/corning-bureau/alstom-awarded-1-8-billion-metra-contract-hundreds-of-new-jobs-coming-to-hornell |newspaper=My Twin Tiers |access-date=February 1, 2021 |archive-date=February 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203061848/https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/corning-bureau/alstom-awarded-1-8-billion-metra-contract-hundreds-of-new-jobs-coming-to-hornell/
|url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Conesus, New York|Conesus]] remains the home of the oldest producer of pure grape [[sacramental wine]] in the Western hemisphere.

[[File:Finger Lakes Hemlock Lake.jpg|thumb|Hemlock Lake, one of the western Finger Lakes]]
Notable among the historic buildings of the region (most linked below) is the [[Granger Homestead]] (1816), a large village house in [[Federal Style]] at Canandaigua, New York. Another example of the Federal Style is the Prouty-Chew House (1829) at Geneva, portions of which were altered at various times in new fashions.

Three [[Greek Revival]] mansions are situated near three lakes: The Richard DeZeng House, Skaneateles (1839); Rose Hill, Geneva (1839); and Esperanza, Penn Yan (1838). The latter two are open to the public.

The Seward House in Auburn, a [[National Historic Landmark]], is a mansion more characteristic of the Civil War era, virtually unchanged from the nineteenth century. [[Belhurst Castle]], Geneva, a stone mansion in the Romanesque Revival style, now serves as an inn. [[Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park|Sonnenberg]] mansion at Canandaigua is a later nineteenth-century residence in the Queen Anne style, known for its restored period gardens. Geneva on the Lake is a villa (1910–14) that recalls those on Italian lakes. Now an inn, it has European-style gardens. Many buildings and historic districts of the Finger Lakes region are notable, in addition to these historic houses.

Implemented in August, 2010, the Hemlock-Canadice State Forest covers {{convert|6,684|acre|km2}} that encompass the two western Finger Lakes, [[Hemlock Lake|Hemlock]] and [[Canadice Lake|Canadice]]. These lakes have provided drinking water for the City of Rochester for more than 100 years. To protect water quality, the city acquired much of the property around the lakes. Over the decades, the land reforested, but a few traces of its past, such as stone walls or cottage foundations, remain. Today these two lakes, with their steep, forested, largely-undeveloped shorelines and deep, clear water, provide visitors a glimpse of the Finger Lakes of the past. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) manages this State Forest for compatible public access for recreation, including [[New York State Wildlife Management Areas|fishing, hunting]], nature study, boating and hiking. Activities in Hemlock-Canadice State Forest are subject the DEC's Rules and Regulations for the Use of State Lands, 6 NYCRR Part 190, as well as any other applicable state statutes, rules and regulations. These are sensitive areas because they protect public drinking water.

The {{convert|584|mi|km|adj=on}} [[Finger Lakes Trail]] and its branch trails run through the southern portion of the Finger Lakes region and also constitute a portion of the 4,600 mile [[North Country National Scenic Trail]].

Hemlock Lake is home to the state's oldest nesting [[bald eagle]] site, dating back to the early 1960s. The nesting bald eagles of Hemlock Lake have fostered a resurgence of bald eagles throughout New York State. Hemlock Lake, originally known as "O-Neh-Da" which is Seneca for "Lake of Hemlock Trees", is home to the nation's oldest [[sacramental wine]]ry, founded by Bishop McQuaid in 1872. Today, O-Neh-Da Vineyard continues to make premium natural pure grape wine for churches and foodies alike.

=== Wine ===
{{Main|Finger Lakes AVA}}
[[File:Sunrise overlooking a vineyard in the Finger Lakes.jpg|thumb|Sunrise overlooking a vineyard on Canandaigua Lake]]

The Finger Lakes region is New York's largest [[wine]]-producing region. Over 400 [[wineries]] and [[vineyards]] surround Seneca, Cayuga, Canandaigua, Keuka, Conesus, and Hemlock Lakes. Because of the lakes' great depth, they provide a lake effect to the lush vineyards that flank their shores. Due to the size and concentration of these lakes, the region retains residual summer warmth in the winter and winter's cold in the spring; as a result, the grapes are protected from disastrous spring frost during shoot growth, and early frost before the harvest. Additionally, due to the long, narrow, north-to-south positioning of the Finger Lakes, the slopes on the east and west side provide for variations in sunlight exposure, temperature, soil, and more; this leads to a great diversity of growing environments within the region and ultimately in the yielded wine.

The main grape varieties grown are [[Chardonnay]], [[Riesling]], [[Gewürztraminer]], [[Pinot noir]], [[Cabernet Franc]], [[Vidal blanc]], [[Seyval blanc]] and many ''[[Vitis labrusca]]'' (American native) varieties or cultivars.

With the passage of the [[New York Farm Winery Act of 1976|Farm Winery Act in 1976]], numerous wineries are now open to visitors. Wineries are a growth industry of the region, contributing through their production and by attracting visitors. The Finger Lakes American Viticulture Area (AVA) includes two of America's oldest wineries, O-Neh-Da Vineyard (1872) on Hemlock Lake and The Pleasant Valley Wine Company (1860) on Keuka Lake.

=== Craft beer ===
Aside from wine, the Finger Lakes' craft beer industry has grown significantly in recent years. In 2018 the region was home to the second-highest number of breweries in New York after the [[Hudson Valley]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newyorkupstate.com/drinks/2018/02/beer_boom_new_york_state_says_it_now_has_record_number_of_breweries.html|title=Beer boom: New York state says it now has record number of breweries|last=Cazentre|first=Don|date=2018-02-14|website=newyorkupstate.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-07}}</ref>

=== Educational institutions ===
[[File:WellsCollegeTower600R.jpg|right|upright=0.7|thumb| [[Wells College]], [[Aurora, Cayuga County, New York|Aurora]]]]

The area is also known for higher-education learning. The largest is [[Ivy League]] institution [[Cornell University]], in Ithaca. Other notable schools are [[Ithaca College]], also in Ithaca; [[Syracuse University]], [[SUNY Upstate Medical University]], [[State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry]], and [[Le Moyne College]], in Syracuse; SUNY Cortland, in Cortland; [[Tompkins Cortland Community College]] in Dryden, Ithaca, and Cortland; [[Wells College]] in Aurora; [[Hobart and William Smith Colleges]] in Geneva; [[Keuka College]] in [[Keuka Park, New York|Keuka Park]]; [[Finger Lakes Community College]] in [[Canandaigua]] and Geneva; [[New York Chiropractic College]] in [[Seneca Falls, New York|Seneca Falls]] and [[Cayuga Community College]] in Auburn.

Nearby the Finger Lakes is [[Binghamton University]] (SUNY), the [[University of Rochester]], [[Nazareth College (New York)|Nazareth College]], [[St. John Fisher College|St. John Fisher University]], [[Roberts Wesleyan University]], [[Monroe Community College]], and [[Rochester Institute of Technology]] in Rochester; [[Elmira College]] in Elmira; [[Corning Community College]] in Corning; and the [[State University of New York at Geneseo]].

=== Museums ===
The Finger Lakes region is home to several museums. These include the [[Corning Museum of Glass]], the [[Johnson Museum of Art]] at [[Cornell University]], the [[Strong National Museum of Play]], the [[Glenn H. Curtiss Museum]], the [http://www.flbm.org Finger Lakes Boating Museum], the [[Wings of Eagles Discovery Center]], the [[Sciencenter]], the [[Museum of the Earth]], the [[National Soaring Museum]], the [[Rockwell Museum]], the Seward House Museum, the [[William H. Seward]] and the Samuel Warren Homesteads of the New York Historical Society, birthplace of New York State's first successful commercial winery.

The [[Women's Rights National Historic Park]] is in Seneca Falls. The park includes the home of [[Elizabeth Cady Stanton]] and the Wesleyan Chapel, where she held the first convention on [[women's rights]] in 1848.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/wori/index.htm|title=Women's Rights National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)|first1=Mailing Address: 136 Fall Street Seneca|last1=Falls|first2=NY 13148 Phone:568-0024 Contact|last2=Us|website=www.nps.gov}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* Thompson, John H., ed. ''Geography of New York State'' (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1977)
* Engeln, O. D., von. ''The Finger Lakes Region: Its Origin and Nature'' (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1961, 1988)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070107182109/http://www.visitfingerlakes.com/media_room/statistics.asp Finger Lakes Tourism Statistics ]
* Bloomfield, Jay A., ed. ''Lakes of New York State: Volume I: Ecology of the Finger Lakes'' (New York, NY: Academic Press, 1978)

==External links==
<!--======================== {{No more links}} ============================
    | PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS IN ADDING MORE LINKS TO THIS ARTICLE. Wikipedia  |
    | is not a collection of links nor should it be used for advertising. |
    |                                                                     |
    |           Excessive or inappropriate links WILL BE DELETED.         |
    | See [[Wikipedia:External links]] & [[Wikipedia:Spam]] for details.  |
    |                                                                     |
    | If there are already plentiful links, please propose additions or   |
    | replacements on this article's discussion page, or submit your link |
    | to the relevant category at the "long dead (2017)" Open Directory Project (dmoz.org)   |
    | and link back to that category using the {{dmoz}} template.
|    ======================= {{No more links}} =============================-->
* [http://www.fingerlakes.org/ The official Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance website]
{{Finger Lakes}}
{{City of Rochester, NY}}
{{Syracuse, New York}}
{{New York}}
{{Subject bar|portal1=New York (state)|portal2=Lakes|auto=1}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Finger Lakes| ]]
[[Category:New York (state) wine]]
[[Category:Regions of New York (state)]]
[[Category:Glaciology of the United States]]
[[Category:Upstate New York]]
[[Category:Lakes of New York (state)]]
[[Category:Lake groups of the United States]]