Cedar Creek is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed May 19, 2011 stream in southeastern
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. The Cedar Creek watershed is a 330 km
2 (127 mi
2) sub-basin of the larger
Milwaukee River
The Milwaukee River is a river in the state of Wisconsin. It is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 19, 2011 Once a locus of industry, the river is now the ...
watershed.
Description
Cedar Creek originates from
Big Cedar Lake in the
Town of West Bend and flows east into
Little Cedar Lake. It then flows east through
Jackson
Jackson may refer to:
Places Australia
* Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson oil field in Durham, ...
before turning south, crossing State Highway 60 where there is a USGS
gauge
Gauge ( ) may refer to:
Measurement
* Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments
* Gauge (firearms)
* Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire
** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, especia ...
and briefly flows through
Grafton before entering
Cedarburg's north side. The creek flows through downtown Cedarburg, and empties into the
Milwaukee River
The Milwaukee River is a river in the state of Wisconsin. It is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 19, 2011 Once a locus of industry, the river is now the ...
southeast of Cedarburg in the Town of Grafton. The lower section through Cedarburg is notable for its the steep slope, and early settlers made use of this by building several mills and accompanying dams.
The lower portion of the creek through downtown Cedarburg until its confluence with the Milwaukee River is impacted by the milldams and
PCB
PCB may refer to:
Science and technology
* Polychlorinated biphenyl, an organic chlorine compound, now recognized as an environmental toxin and classified as a persistent organic pollutant
* Printed circuit board, a board used in electronics
* P ...
pollution produced by
Mercury Marine
Mercury Marine is a marine engine division of Brunswick Corporation headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The main product line is outboard motors. It also produces the MerCruiser line of sterndrives and inboard engines, as well as a li ...
and Amcast automotive.
Numerous cleanups have occurred, including a 2018 cleanup from the
Cedarburg Mill's pond to the
Cedarburg Wire and Nail Factory dam was completed in 2018.
Mills
Several mills dammed the lower portion of Cedar Creek in the mid and late 19th century. The mills proved successful and had large impacts on the local economy. By the early 20th century many of the mills had moved away from hydropower to more reliable steam or electric power.
Financial trouble for the mills began during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
and continued into later decades as larger mills and factories outcompeted the small mills. By the late 1960s, all the mills had either ceased operations, and some buildings have been converted to commercial uses, while others were abandoned unused or demolished.
Flooding
Cedar Creek is normally a small low discharge stream, however like many streams it experiences regular flooding. In 1881, a sudden spring melt caused severe flooding that washed out all the dams on Cedar Creek except the one at the Cedarburg Mill. The flood also washed away at least one bridge.
Large floods occurred in 1952, 1959, 1960, and 1975.
In 1996, flooding washed out the dam at the
Concordia Mill
The Concordia Mill is a former gristmill on Cedar Creek located in Hamilton, Wisconsin, United States. The limestone mill was built in 1853 by Edward H. Janssen and his brother, Theodore, along with a Mr. Gaitsch with locally quarried limestone ...
. Its millpond contained PCBs, and the washout complicated the cleanup by sending PCBs downstream.
Parks
Bridges
Notes
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Rivers of Wisconsin
Rivers of Ozaukee County, Wisconsin
Rivers of Washington County, Wisconsin
Superfund sites in Wisconsin