![Little Cataraqui Creek wetland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Little_Cataraqui_Creek_wetland.jpg)
The Little Cataraqui Creek is a
watercourse
A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams are ...
, much of which is a semi-urban
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
, that empties into
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
within the municipality of
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Toro ...
, Canada. Further inland, just north of
Highway 401
King's Highway 401, commonly referred to as Highway 401 and also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway or colloquially referred to as the four-oh-one,
is a controlled-access 400-series highway in the Canadian provin ...
, the creek has been dammed to form a
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
that is part of the
Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area
Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area is a conservation area located north of the city of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and is managed by the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority.
The Little Cataraqui Creek flows through the area and a res ...
.
The adjective "little" distinguishes the creek from the
(Greater) Cataraqui River 4.5 kilometers to the east, which forms the beginning of the
Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal, also known unofficially as the Rideau Waterway, connects Canada's capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, to Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River at Kingston. It is 202 kilometres long. The name ''Rideau'', French for "curtain", ...
.
Depending on the season, the creek is navigable by canoe or other very small craft.
External links
Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area
Landforms of Kingston, Ontario
Tributaries of Lake Ontario
Rivers of Frontenac County
{{Ontario-river-stub