Eighteen Mile Creek (Niagara County)

Eighteen Mile Creek in Niagara County, New York, USA, is a tributary of Lake Ontario and is located entirely in Niagara County. The name "Eighteen Mile" creek refers not to the length of the creek, but to its distance from the Niagara River to the west.

Originating just north of City of Lockport in the Town of Lockport, it travels approximately 26 miles northward, along a myriad of twists and turns, passing through the Town of Newfane. A dam by the community of Burt forms a widening of the creek as far upstream as the community of Newfane.

Eighteen Mile Creek enters Lake Ontario, at Olcott harbor.

Much of the course of the creek is followed by New York State Route 78.

Pollution

The Eighteen Mile Creek is listed as a Great Lakes Areas of Concern in the The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada.

The creek is locally known for its runs of trout and salmon. However, industrial sediments in the creek bottom indicate that consumption of fish from the creek is not entirely safe.

During heavy rains, the Lockport Sewage Treatment Plant reaches its capacity, and diverts untreated sewage directly into the creek, where it flows into Lake Ontario at Olcott Beach. This is likely the cause of the periodical bacteria-related closings of Olcott's Krull Park Beach, which is just west of the creek's mouth.

See also

* List of rivers in New York
* Eighteen Mile Creek (Erie County), Another same-named creek in New York.

External links

* [http://epa.gov/greatlakes/aoc/eighteenmile.html US EPA information]