LAI 521

Clues (Donahue & and Saia, 2009)

1. The source of this creek is a spring approximately ten inches deep and one foot in diameter
that bubbles straight up from the ground. It begins in the eastern suburb of Lancaster where
it has been channelized, meaning, the river has been physically modified. Generally,
channelized creeks and rivers are straightened and their shorelines have been "hardened" by
added stone.
2. Travels through the center of North Creek Drive Park and dives underground near the
Galleria Mall not far from the intersection of McKesson and Union Road.
3. Going under the Walden Galleria Mall, it surfaces at Galleria.
4. It surfaces at Galleria Drive and flows through Cheektowaga Town Park.
5. Flows through Cheektowaga Town Park
6. Its second trip below the surface occurs at Pine Ridge Road where a huge tunnel marks the
beginning of the creeks longest underground stretch3.7 miles.
7. This tunnel was built in the 1922-28s, after locals could no longer stand the smell of dead
animals, garbage, and sewage that had been continuously dumped into the creek year after
year. To see the huge tunnel, turn down Wildly Avenue across from Villa Maria College.
8. The creek resurfaces for the second time inside Forest Lawn Cemetery near the Main Street
entrance, its waters flow directly into the Delevan Drain, which was built in the 1930s to
intercept the buried creek before it could resurface. The drain runs underneath Delevan
Avenue to the City of Buffalos Sewage Treatment Plant on the southern tip of Squaw
Island.
9. It goes underground for the final time at the south-eastern tip of Hoyt Lake. This final dip
underground is located at the west end of Hoyt Lakes North Bay of in Delaware Park Here,
an underground channel directs Scajaquada along the southern shore of Hoyt Lake where it
resurfaces for the final time after passing underneath Route 198.
10. Resurfaces for the final time after passing underneath Route 198. As the creek slows down
at this point, it deposits sediment gained over the course of its trip from Lancaster, NY. This
sediment has formed a small and somewhat odorous island near the S-shaped concrete berm
separating Hoyt Lake from the creek. Further downstream from the sediment island is a
finger dam that was constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers and is known to
LAI 521
unintentionally trap all sorts of garbage that enters the creek. The sewage sludge on the
stream bottom is deep and severely contaminated with heavy metals and other man-made
chemicals where the creek goes over the dam and downstream under Elmwood Avenue.
11. After the finger dam, the creek flows freely, with the exception of a few combined sewer
overflows, until reaching its wide mouth at Black Rock Canal

Bonus clue:

The Niagara River watershed in New York State is about 1225 square miles and 97% of the
water entering the Niagara River watershed comes from seven tributaries in order from largest
contribution to smallest are: Tonawanda Creek, Buffalo River, Smokes Creek, the mysterious
creek that we are looking for, Cayuga Creek, Gill Creek, and Two Mile Creek.