Oak Orchard Creek (sometimes called Oak Orchard River) is a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

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 ...

in Orleans County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The creek flows through Oak Orchard Creek Marsh, of which were declared a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

in May 1973. The marshlands through which Oak Orchard Creek flows are a major stopover points for

migratory bird Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between Breeding in the wild, breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Animal migration, Migration carries high costs in predation a ...

s, and are protected by state- and federally-designated

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

Course

Oak Orchard Creek rises south of Oak Orchard Creek Marsh (also called the "Alabama Swamp") at the border of Orleans and

Genesee Genesee, derived from the Seneca word for "pleasant valley", may refer to: Geographic features Canada *Genesee, Alberta, an unincorporated community United States *Genesee, California *Genesee, Colorado *Genesee County, Michigan *Genesee Co ...

counties. The swamp contains a state reserve,

Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area The Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area is an approximately wildlife management area (WMA) located in western New York, United States. Most of this conservation area is in the northwest part of Genesee County, with a small northern portion in ...

, and a national reserve, the

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge in Genesee and Orleans counties in western New York. The refuge is located between the cities of Buffalo and Rochester and is operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. ...

, both of which are known as major stopover points for

s. Oak Orchard Creek Marsh was designated a

in May 1973. The swamp is a result of a partial blockage of the river by

glacial drift In geology, drift is a name for all sediment (clay, silt, sand, gravel, boulders) transported by a glacier and deposited directly by or from the ice, or by glacial meltwater. Drift is often subdivided into (unsorted and) unstratified drift (glaci ...

and an outcrop of

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

and

dolomite Dolomite may refer to: *Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral *Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock *Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community *Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...

known as the Lockport Formation which forms the

Niagara Escarpment The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in Canada and the United States that runs predominantly east–west from New York through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin, and into Illinois. The escarpment is most famous as the cliff over ...

. After flowing through the swamp, it flows northward, across the escarpment in a series of

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

s and

rapid Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Rapids are hydrological features between a ''run'' (a smoothly flowing part of a stream) and a ''cascade''. ...

s at Shelby Center, thence passing through the Village of Medina to the small Glenwood Lake north of the village. The creek departs the town of Ridgeway at its northeast corner, cuts through the northwest corner of the town of Gaines, and widens before entering the town of

Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...

. The widest part is now known as Waterport Pond (Lake Alice), and the hamlet of Waterport is on the south bank. A dam at the northeast end of the pond controls water flow. Oak Orchard Creek narrows again and passes underneath Route 18 and the

Lake Ontario State Parkway The Lake Ontario State Parkway is a parkway along the southern shore of Lake Ontario in Western New York in the United States. The western end of the highway is at a partial interchange within Lakeside Beach State Park in Carlton, Orleans County ...

before entering Lake Ontario at Point Breeze where

Oak Orchard State Marine Park Oak Orchard State Marine Park is an state park located at the mouth of Oak Orchard Creek at Lake Ontario in the Town of Carlton in Orleans County, New York, United States. The park can be accessed from NY Route 18 and the Lake Ontario Sta ...

is located. The lower part of the creek remains relatively ice-free during winters presumably due to steady flow of water and hydro-plant at Waterport.

Sporting activities

Boating

Several boat launch locations exist in the lower Oak Orchard Creek. Two are near Point Breeze at the state park. Three more are near the Route 18 overpass. Boating is limited to a short distance upstream from a point called Toms Landing due to the shallow depth. Most boaters enter the creek in order to fish. There is some concern about pollutants from

anti-fouling paint Anti-fouling paint is a specialized category of coatings applied as the outer (outboard) layer to the hull of a ship or boat, to slow the growth of and facilitate detachment of subaquatic organisms that attach to the hull and can affect a ves ...

on boat hulls.

Fishing

The state fish hatcheries release

brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...

salmon Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...

and

steelhead Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the common name of the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or redband trout (O. m. gairdneri). Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific basin in Northeast Asia and N ...

each year into the river. Fishing may be done from boats in the lower part, by wading in the upper parts, and from the shore along its length.

Other activities

The entire area of public lands is open for birdwatching and hiking. Within the Oak Orchard Swamp other activities, such as hunting and trapping, can be done by permit. Boating is restricted to non-powered boats, and picnicking and camping are restricted to specific areas.

References

External links

{{authority control National Natural Landmarks in New York (state) Rivers of New York (state) Rivers of Genesee County, New York Rivers of Orleans County, New York Tributaries of Lake Ontario