Onondaga Creek
Encyclopedia
Onondaga Creek is a major tributary of Onondaga Lake
which is located in Onondaga County, New York
. The headwaters of the creek originate 27 miles (43.5 km) south of the city of Syracuse
near the hamlet of Vesper, New York. The creek flows north through the Tully Valley and through the city of Syracuse where it empties into Onondaga Lake.
The major tributaries of Onondaga Creek are the West Branch of Onondaga Creek, Hemlock Creek and Rattlesnake Gulf. The watershed consists of mixed land use of about 80% forest, rural and agriculture and 20% rural.
. The structure influences the creek's flow pattern only in the event of a large runoff when a portion of very high flow is diverted into the reservoir and later released back into the creek when the water recedes.
Onondaga Creek contributes approximately 30% of the hydrological input to Onondaga Lake
. Water quality in the creek has been a concern "historically with regards to its impacts" on the lake.
At its mouth, Onondaga Creek is enriched with nutrients and suspended sediment. These problems are magnified at high flows. Near the mouth, groundwater springs continuously discharge brackish (salty) water into the creek. The creek is the largest source of sediment in Onondaga Lake.
Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake is a lake in Central New York located northwest of Syracuse, New York. The southeastern end of the lake and the southwestern shore abut industrial areas and expressways; the northeastern shore and northwestern end border a series of parks and museums. Although it is near the Finger...
which is located in Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. The headwaters of the creek originate 27 miles (43.5 km) south of the city of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
near the hamlet of Vesper, New York. The creek flows north through the Tully Valley and through the city of Syracuse where it empties into Onondaga Lake.
The major tributaries of Onondaga Creek are the West Branch of Onondaga Creek, Hemlock Creek and Rattlesnake Gulf. The watershed consists of mixed land use of about 80% forest, rural and agriculture and 20% rural.
History
In the late 1940s, the Army Corp. of Engineers built a flood control dam and reservoir within the Onondaga Nation Reservation for the purpose of regulating the peak flow that reaches the city of SyracuseSyracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. The structure influences the creek's flow pattern only in the event of a large runoff when a portion of very high flow is diverted into the reservoir and later released back into the creek when the water recedes.
Onondaga Creek contributes approximately 30% of the hydrological input to Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake is a lake in Central New York located northwest of Syracuse, New York. The southeastern end of the lake and the southwestern shore abut industrial areas and expressways; the northeastern shore and northwestern end border a series of parks and museums. Although it is near the Finger...
. Water quality in the creek has been a concern "historically with regards to its impacts" on the lake.
At its mouth, Onondaga Creek is enriched with nutrients and suspended sediment. These problems are magnified at high flows. Near the mouth, groundwater springs continuously discharge brackish (salty) water into the creek. The creek is the largest source of sediment in Onondaga Lake.