Fonthill Kame – Delta

The Village of Fonthill, located in the Town of Pelham, is remarkable for what is known as a Kame – Delta . It was the proglacial delta of glacial Lake Warren, which is a beach of this ancient glacial lake. Gravel’s of this sea are found 242 meters (793 feet) above sea level. The steep northern slope marks point of contact with the ice field. The gentler southern slope is the lake ward slope of this glacial delta. This glacial lake was located east of the present day Great Lakes. It exited high over Lake Erie territory and exited into the Lake Ontario basin. Its beach was the last and highest of the gravel margins formed.

During the retreat of the Lake Erie ice lobe of the Wisconsin Glacier which covered the Niagara Peninsula, the southern limit of the ice field remained nearly stationary at the Niagara Escarpment. Melt water from the glacier formed a series of glacial lakes. This melting water flowing from the glacier carried large amounts of debris, laying down a series of layers forming the Kame – Delta.

The Fonthill Kame-Delta is the highest point of land in the Niagara area. Today this site is readily identified by the many transmission and microwave relay towers situated upon it.

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