Cattaraugus Creek
Cattaraugus Creek is a stream located in western New York in the USA. The creek is the border between the south part of Erie County and the northern borders of Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties. Cattaraugus Creek flows into Lake Erie by Sunset Bay in the Town of Hanover in Chautaqua County. Prior to emptying into the lake, the creek passes through the Cattaraugus Reservation of the Iroquois indians.
Moving upstream, the first community is the hamlet of Versailles on the south bank of the creek. After that, the first large community is the Village of Gowanda, which straddles the creek and is thereby in two counties. To the east of Gowanda, the Cattaraugus Creek passes through the Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area. This conservation zone is a favorite recreation area for fishing and rafting.
South of Springville, New York, a dam controls the flow of water.
Cattaraugus Creek rises in Java Lake in Wyoming County. In the Village of Arcade it joins Clear Creek. As it flows westward out of Wyoming County to the hamlet of Yorkshire, the creek assumes its role as a border marker.
The word "Cattaraugus" means "foul-smelling river bank." This name is a result of the natural gas that oozez from the river mud.
The length of Cattaraugus Creek is approximately 68 miles.
