Cazenovia Creek is a creek in
Western New York
Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all so ...
, United States. It is a
tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''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 into which they ...
of the
Buffalo River, which empties into
Lake Erie
Lake Erie ( ) is the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and also has the shortest avera ...
. Cazenovia Creek and its watershed are entirely within
Erie County.
[
]
Course
Cazenovia Creek is formed from its two branches east of the Village of East Aurora and flows through the Towns of Aurora
An aurora ( aurorae or auroras),
also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
, Elma, West Seneca
West Seneca is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 45,500 at the 2020 census. West Seneca is a centrally located interior town of the county, and a suburb of Buffalo. West Seneca, Orchard Park and Hamburg form th ...
, and the City of Buffalo. It joins the Buffalo River in the South Buffalo neighborhood.
The East Branch of Cazenovia Creek flows through the Village of East Aurora and has its sources in the Southtowns of Erie County, primarily in the towns of Colden, Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
, and Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...
. The West Branch of Cazenovia Creek rises from sources in the towns of Colden, Concord, and Sardinia.
History
Cazenovia Creek is named after Theophilus Cazenove
Theophilus Cazenove, or Theophile Cazenove (13 October 1740 – 6 March 1811), was a Dutch financier and one of the agents of the Holland Land Company.
Life and career
Theophilus Cazenove was baptized in the Westerkerk in Amsterdam as the son of ...
, an agent of the Holland Land Company
The Holland Land Company was an unincorporated syndicate of thirteen Dutch investors from Amsterdam,Kirby, C.D. (1976). ''The Early History of Gowanda and The Beautiful Land of the Cattaraugus''. Gowanda, NY: Niagara Frontier Publishing Company ...
.
In 1897, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822 – August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, Social criticism, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the U ...
drew up plans for a park near the south city line of Buffalo. A farm at that location was purchased in 1890, and Cazenovia Park, straddling Cazenovia River, was built at that location. The park is in the South Buffalo section of the city.
Cazenovia Creek is known for its annual ice jams in the early spring when temperatures rise.
Fishing
Cazenovia Creek also has a wide variety of fish that run through its waters. Species include catfish, large and small mouth bass, and rainbow and brown trout. Water levels can rise and fall very quickly and the current can be very strong at times.
See also
* List of rivers of New York
References
External links
Friends of the Buffalo Niagara Rivers: Buffalo River watershed
Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper: Buffalo River watershed
{{authority control
Rivers of New York (state)
Rivers of Erie County, New York
Tributaries of Lake Erie