Oak Orchard River
Encyclopedia
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
in Orleans County
Orleans County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,171 people, 15,363 households, and 10,846 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 17,347 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Oak Orchard Creek rises south of Oak Orchard Creek Marsh (also called the Alabama Swamp) at the border of Orleans and Genesee
Genesee County, New York
Genesee County is a county located in Western New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,079. Its name is from the Seneca Indian word Gen-nis'-hee-yo meaning "The Beautiful Valley." Its county seat is Batavia.- History :...
Counties. The swamp contains a state reserve, Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area
Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area
The Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area is a conservation area located in western New York, USA. Most of this wildlife area is in the northwest part of Genesee County, but a small northern portion is in Orleans County....
, and a national reserve, the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in Genesee and Orleans Counties in the western part of New York. The refuge is between the cities of Buffalo and Rochester....
, both of which are known as major stopover points for migratory bird
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
s. It was designated a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
in May 1973. The swamp is a result of a partial blockage of the river by glacial drift
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
and an outcrop of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and dolostone
Dolostone
Dolostone or dolomite rock is a sedimentary carbonate rock that contains a high percentage of the mineral dolomite. In old U.S.G.S. publications it was referred to as magnesian limestone. Most dolostone formed as a magnesium replacement of limestone or lime mud prior to lithification. It is...
known as the Lockport Formation which forms the Niagara Escarpment
Niagara Escarpment
The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in the United States and Canada that runs westward from New York State, through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois...
.
After flowing through the swamp, it flows northward, across the escarpment in a series of waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s and rapid
Rapid
A rapid is a section of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. A rapid is a hydrological feature between a run and a cascade. A rapid is characterised by the river becoming shallower and having some rocks exposed above the...
s at Shelby Center, thence passing through the Village of Medina
Medina, New York
Medina is a village in the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 6,415 at the 2000 census, making it the second most populous municipality in the county after Albion, the county seat. The village was named by its surveyor...
to the small Glenwood Lake north of the village. The creek departs the town of Ridgeway
Ridgeway, New York
Ridgeway, New York is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 6,886 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is derived from "Ridge Road," an important highway in the 19th century....
at its northeast corner, cuts through the northwest corner of the town of Gaines
Gaines, New York
Gaines is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 3,740 at the 2000 census. The town is named after General Edmund Pendleton Gaines, who defended the area during the War of 1812....
, and widens before entering the town of Carlton
Carlton, New York
Carlton is a town in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 2,960 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Carleton, a shipbuilding district near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada....
. 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
New York State Route 18
New York State Route 18 is an east–west state highway in western New York in the United States. It runs parallel to the south shore of Lake Ontario for most of its length between Niagara County and Monroe County...
and the Lake Ontario State Parkway
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. Its eastern terminus is at an intersection with...
before entering Lake Ontario at Point Breeze where Oak Orchard State Marine Park
Oak Orchard State Marine Park
Oak Orchard State Marine Park is a state park located at the mouth of Oak Orchard Creek at Lake Ontario in the Town of Carlton in Orleans County, New York, USA. The park can be accessed on NYS Route 18...
is located.
Environment
The lower part of the creek remains relatively ice-free during winters due to heated water released from a power plant.There is some concern also about pollutants from anti-fouling paint on boat hulls.
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 boater enter the creek in order to fish.Fishing
The state fish hatcheries release brown troutBrown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
, salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and steelhead
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
each year into the river. Fishing may be done from boat in the lower part, or by wading in the upper parts, and, of course, from the shore along its length.