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Buffalo River (New York): Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 42°52′42″N 78°53′11″W / 42.87833°N 78.88639°W / 42.87833; -78.88639
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{{Infobox river
{{Infobox river
| name = Buffalo River
| name = Buffalo River
| name_native =
| native_name =
| name_native_lang =
| native_name_lang =
| name_other =
| name_other =
| name_etymology =
| name_etymology =
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image = BuffaloRiverTerminus.jpg
| image = BuffaloRiverTerminus.jpg
| image_caption = Buffalo River where it empties into Lake Erie. The lighthouse on the left of the river is the [[Buffalo Main Light]]
| image_caption = Buffalo River where it empties into [[Lake Erie]]. The lighthouse on the left of the river is the [[Buffalo Main Light]]
| map =
| map =
| map_size =
| map_size =
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| subdivision_name5 = [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]]
| subdivision_name5 = [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]]
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length = {{convert|8|mi|km|abbr=on}}approximately
| length_mi = 8|length_ref=&nbsp;approximately
| width_min =
| width_min =
| width_avg =
| width_avg =
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| progression =
| progression =
| river_system =
| river_system =
| basin_size = {{convert|447|sqmi|abbr=on}}total watershed
| basin_size_mi2 = 447|basin_size_ref=&nbsp;total watershed
| tributaries_left = Cayuga Creek
| tributaries_left = Cayuga Creek
| tributaries_right = Buffalo Creek (New York), Cazenovia Creek
| tributaries_right = Buffalo Creek (New York), Cazenovia Creek
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The '''Buffalo River''' drains a {{convert|447|sqmi|adj=on}} watershed in [[Western New York]] state, emptying into the eastern end of [[Lake Erie]] at the [[Buffalo, New York|City of Buffalo]]. The river has three tributaries: [[Cayuga Creek]], '''Buffalo Creek''', and [[Cazenovia Creek]].
The '''Buffalo River''' drains a {{convert|447|sqmi|adj=on}} watershed in [[Western New York]] state, emptying into the eastern end of [[Lake Erie]] at the [[Buffalo, New York|City of Buffalo]]. The river has three tributaries: [[Cayuga Creek]], '''Buffalo Creek''', and [[Cazenovia Creek]].


The Buffalo River has been important to the development of western New York, including as the terminus for the [[Erie Canal]] beginning in 1825, and later as an industrial area with uses including grain elevators, steel mills and chemical production. When shipping began to bypass the Erie Canal in the 1950s, and later with the decline of heavy industry in the region, the transportation and industrial use of the river greatly declined and many adjacent factories and grain mills were abandoned. The river and adjacent sites have been the focus of efforts over several decades to improve water quality and restore habitat, most recently in 2011 with the commencement of the Buffalo River Restoration Project.<ref name=DEC1>{{cite web | url=http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/54166.html | title=Buffalo River Restoration Project | publisher=[[NYSDEC]] | accessdate=July 26, 2012}}</ref>
The Buffalo River has been important to the development of western New York, including as the terminus for the [[Erie Canal]] beginning in 1825, and later as an industrial area with uses including grain elevators, steel mills and chemical production. When shipping began to bypass the Erie Canal in the 1950s, and later [[heavy industry]] declined, the transportation and industrial uses of the river were greatly reduced. Many adjacent factories and grain mills were abandoned. The river and adjacent sites have been the focus of efforts over several decades to improve water quality and restore habitat, most recently in 2011 with the commencement of the Buffalo River Restoration Project.<ref name=DEC1>{{cite web | url=http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/54166.html | title=Buffalo River Restoration Project | publisher=[[NYSDEC]] | accessdate=July 26, 2012}}</ref>


==Geography==
==Geography==
The Buffalo River flows westward from the point of confluence, passing through residential and heavily industrialized parts of the city. The river includes a {{convert|6.2|mi|adj=on}} federal navigation channel maintained by the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] at a depth of {{convert|23|ft}} below lake level (along with an additional {{convert|1.4|mi|disp=sqbr}} of the City Ship Canal).<ref name=USACE>{{cite web | url=http://www.lrb.usace.army.mil/missions/BuffaloRiver/Bflo-factsheet-may2011.pdf | title=BUFFALO RIVER STRATEGIC NAVIGATIONAL DREDGING | publisher=[[USACE]] | accessdate=July 26, 2012 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Because of this designation, bridges in the navigable part of the river are required to allow for passage of high vessels, and many of them are [[drawbridge (American English)|drawbridge]]s. The very low [[hydraulic gradient]] of the river, along with the dredging, gives the river an [[estuarine]]-like character. Much of the shoreline is hardened by [[riprap]], [[bulkhead (barrier)|bulkheads]] and other structures, and little vegetation remains along the banks.<ref name=RK_watershed/> The river enters the lake between a [[United States Coast Guard]] station and the Erie Basin Marina. The grounds of the Coast Guard station include the [[Buffalo Main Light]], established in 1833 and listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].
The Buffalo River flows eastward from the point of confluence, passing through residential and heavily industrialized parts of the city. The river includes a {{convert|6.2|mi|adj=on}} federal navigation channel maintained by the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] at a depth of {{convert|23|ft}} below lake level (along with an additional {{convert|1.4|mi|disp=sqbr}} of the City Ship Canal).<ref name=USACE>{{cite web | url=http://www.lrb.usace.army.mil/missions/BuffaloRiver/Bflo-factsheet-may2011.pdf | title=BUFFALO RIVER STRATEGIC NAVIGATIONAL DREDGING | publisher=[[USACE]] | access-date=July 26, 2012 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Because of this designation, bridges in the navigable part of the river are required to allow for passage of high vessels, and many of them are [[drawbridge (American English)|drawbridge]]s. The very low [[hydraulic gradient]] of the river, along with the dredging, gives the river an [[estuarine]]-like character. Much of the shoreline is hardened by [[riprap]], [[bulkhead (barrier)|bulkhead]] Towns of [[Arcade (town), New York|Arcade]], [[Java, New York|Java]], and [[Sheldon, New York|Sheldon]], before flowing into Erie County. The creek flows through [[Elma, New York|Elma]] and [[West Seneca, New York|West Seneca]], before its confluence with Cayuga Creek in West Seneca.<ref name=RK_watershed/>


⚫
[[Cayuga Creek]] is the northernmost tributary in the watershed. This {{convert|40|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} creek begins in primarily farmland/wooded areas and passes through several residential communities, including Cheektowaga, Lancaster, and Depew, before its confluence with Buffalo Creek.<ref name= RK_watershed>{{cite web | url=http://bnriverkeeper.org/places/buffalo-river/ | title=Buffalo River Watershed | publisher=[[Riverkeeper|Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper]] | access-date=July 26, 2012}}</ref>
The mouth of the river where it meets the lake is part of the Port of Buffalo, and is navigable by larger vessels. The port was expanded to include the City Ship Canal and its extension, the Lehigh Valley Canal. Some of the canals have now been filled in. The ponds at Tifft Farm Nature Preserve in the southwest corner of the city originally were part of this canal system and were used by the [[Lehigh Valley Railroad]] as a terminal facility. They are no longer connected to the canal. The Army Corps of Engineers dredges the river and the City Ship Canal every two to three years, removing about {{convert|100,000|cuyd}} of sediment. Dredging sediment is placed in a confined disposal facility located on Lake Erie near the former [[Bethlehem Steel]] facility. In 2011 and 2012 a more extensive dredging effort was undertaken as part of the Buffalo River Restoration Project to remove contaminated sediment from both the navigable waterway and from an upstream part of the Buffalo River that is not normally dredged.<ref name=DEC1/>


⚫
The East Branch of [[Cazenovia Creek]] begins in [[Sardinia, New York|Sardinia]], and the West Branch begins in [[Concord, New York|Concord]]. The land adjacent to these two branches is primarily agricultural and wooded areas, with the exception of several small residential communities. The two branches meet near [[East Aurora, New York|East Aurora]], after which Cazenovia Creek flows through the towns of [[Aurora, Erie County, New York|Aurora]], [[Elma, New York|Elma]], and West Seneca, and the city of Buffalo until its confluence with the Buffalo River.<ref name=RK_watershed/>
==Tributaries==
[[File:Burchfield Nature Center seneca creek.JPG|thumb|right|Seneca Creek/Buffalo Creek as it flows through West Seneca.]]
[[File:Buffalo Creek Elma New York.jpg|thumb|Buffalo Creek flowing near Elma, New York.]]
'''Buffalo Creek''' is a meandering stream before it becomes the Buffalo River. It originates in the south part of [[Erie County, New York|Erie County]] and the western part of [[Wyoming County, New York|Wyoming County]]. The Erie County sources are in the [[Holland, New York|Town of Holland]] before flowing northward through the other towns in the county. In Wyoming County, the sources are in the Towns of [[Arcade (town), New York|Arcade]], [[Java, New York|Java]], and [[Sheldon, New York|Sheldon]], before flowing into Erie County. The creek flows through [[Elma, New York|Elma]] and [[West Seneca, New York|West Seneca]], before its confluence with Cayuga Creek in West Seneca.<ref name=RK_watershed/>

⚫
[[Cayuga Creek]] is the northernmost tributary in the watershed. This {{convert|40|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} creek begins in primarily farmland/wooded areas and passes through several residential communities, including Cheektowaga, Lancaster, and Depew, before its confluence with Buffalo Creek.<ref name= RK_watershed>{{cite web | url=http://bnriverkeeper.org/places/buffalo-river/ | title=Buffalo River Watershed | publisher=[[Riverkeeper|Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper]] | accessdate=July 26, 2012}}</ref>

⚫
The East Branch of [[Cazenovia Creek]] begins in [[Sardinia, New York|Sardinia]] and the West Branch begins in [[Concord, New York|Concord]]. The land adjacent to these two branches is primarily agricultural and wooded areas, with the exception of several small residential communities. The two branches meet near [[East Aurora, New York|East Aurora]], after which Cazenovia Creek flows through the towns of [[Aurora, Erie County, New York|Aurora]], [[Elma, New York|Elma]], and West Seneca, and the city of Buffalo until its confluence with the Buffalo River.<ref name=RK_watershed/>


== History ==
== History ==
The Buffalo Creek area is believed to have been held by the [[Neutral Nation]] prior to the 1650s, when the [[Seneca nation]] and its Iroquois allies conquered the territory during the [[Beaver Wars]]. In the spring of 1780, the British established an [[Native Americans in the United States|Indian]] village on Buffalo Creek for the mostly [[Seneca tribe|Seneca]] people who had been forced off their lands by the destructive [[Sullivan Expedition]] of 1779. They had fled to [[Fort Niagara]] for refuge with the British. After the war Buffalo Creek area was developed further as a Seneca settlement.
The Buffalo Creek area is believed to have been held by the [[Neutral Nation]] prior to the 1650s, when the [[Seneca nation]] and its Iroquois allies conquered the territory during the [[Beaver Wars]]. In the spring of 1780, the British established an Indian village on Buffalo Creek for the mostly [[Seneca tribe|Seneca]] people who had been forced off their lands after fighting for the British during the [[Sullivan Expedition]] of 1779. They had fled to [[Fort Niagara]] for refuge with the British. After the war, the Buffalo Creek area was developed further as a Seneca settlement.


On July 8, 1788, [[Oliver Phelps]] and [[Nathaniel Gorham]] met with Indians of the Five Nations of the [[Iroquois Confederacy]] (including Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas) at Buffalo Creek to execute a deed or treaty for rights to their lands in New York State east of the [[Genesee River]] (see [[Phelps and Gorham Purchase]]).<ref name="RochesterHistoryPhelps">{{cite journal |last=McKeveley |first=Blake |date=January 1939 |title=Historic Aspects of the Phelps and Gorham Treaty of July 4-8, 1788 |journal=Rochester History |volume=1 |issue=1 |publisher=Rochester Public Library |issn=0035-7413 |url=http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us/~rochhist/v1_1939/v1i1.pdf |accessdate=2008-01-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203025006/http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us/~rochhist/v1_1939/v1i1.pdf |archive-date=2007-12-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1838, the [[Treaty of Buffalo Creek]] dealt with the disposition of the remaining land in New York held by the nations of the Iroquois Confederation.
On July 8, 1788, [[Oliver Phelps (politician)|Oliver Phelps]] and [[Nathaniel Gorham]] met with Indians of the Five Nations of the [[Iroquois Confederacy]] (including Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca) at Buffalo Creek to execute a deed or treaty for rights to their lands in New York State east of the [[Genesee River]] (see [[Phelps and Gorham Purchase]]).<ref name="RochesterHistoryPhelps">{{cite journal |last=McKeveley |first=Blake |date=January 1939 |title=Historic Aspects of the Phelps and Gorham Treaty of July 4-8, 1788 |journal=Rochester History |volume=1 |issue=1 |publisher=Rochester Public Library |issn=0035-7413 |url=http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us/~rochhist/v1_1939/v1i1.pdf |access-date=2008-01-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203025006/http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us/~rochhist/v1_1939/v1i1.pdf |archive-date=2007-12-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1838, the [[Treaty of Buffalo Creek]] dealt with the disposition of the remaining land in New York held by the nations of the Iroquois Confederation. The federal government released a total of about 5 million acres for sale.


In 1825, the Buffalo River was the western terminus for the [[Erie Canal]] constructed through the Mohawk River valley in New York state. Entry to the river from the Canal was gained via the mouth of a small tributary, Little Buffalo Creek, which was excavated and stabilized to form the [[Commercial Slip]] leading from the Erie Canal. The Buffalo River formed the southwest boundary of the rough pentagon that enclosed the "Five Points" or "[[Canal Street (Buffalo)|Canal Street]]" district, bounded on the northeast by the Erie Canal. When the Canal was completed in 1825, New York Governor [[Dewitt Clinton|Dewitt Clinton's]] vessel was towed from the Canal through the Commercial Slip and Buffalo River to Lake Erie. There in a celebration ceremony he poured Atlantic Ocean water into the Lake, and collected lake water to place in the ocean after his return trip to New York City.
In 1825, the Buffalo River was the western terminus for the [[Erie Canal]], constructed through the Mohawk River valley in New York state. Entry to the river from the Canal was gained via the mouth of a small tributary, Little Buffalo Creek, which was excavated and stabilized to form the [[Commercial Slip]] leading from the Erie Canal. The Buffalo River formed the southwest boundary of the rough pentagon that enclosed the "Five Points" or "[[Canal Street (Buffalo)|Canal Street]]" district, bounded on the northeast by the Erie Canal. When the Canal was completed in 1825, New York Governor [[Dewitt Clinton|Dewitt Clinton's]] vessel was towed from the Canal through the Commercial Slip and Buffalo River to Lake Erie. There in a celebration ceremony, he poured Atlantic Ocean water into the Lake, and collected lake water to place in the ocean after his return trip to New York City.


===Origin of the name===
===Origin of the name===
It is believed that the city of Buffalo was named after Buffalo Creek.<ref name=Ketchum_1865>{{cite book |last1=Ketchum |first1=William |title=An Authentic and Comprehensive History of Buffalo, with Some Account of Its Early Inhabitants, Both Savage and Civilized, Comprising Historic Notices of the Six Nations, Or Iroquois Indians, Vol. II |chapter=Origin of the Name of Buffalo |date=1865 |publisher=Rockwell, Baker & Hill |location=Buffalo, NY |page=63 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F9oTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA63 |accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref> There are several unsourced theories for the origin of the creek's name. Early [[France|French]] and [[Moravians (ethnic group)|Moravian]] explorers reported the abundance of [[American Bison|buffalo]]<ref>David Zeisberger's History of the Northern American Indian, c. 1790, edited by the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society |[http://publications.ohiohistory.org/ohj/browse/displaypages.php?display=0019&display=1&display=173] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015193139/http://publications.ohiohistory.org/ohj/browse/displaypages.php?display=0019&display=1&display=173 |date=2014-10-15 }}</ref> on the south shore of [[Lake Erie]], but their presence on the banks of Buffalo Creek is still a matter of debate, so the origin of the name of the creek is still uncertain.<ref name=Bison_range>{{cite book |last1=Hornaday |first1=William T. |title=The Extermination of the American Bison |date=1889 |publisher=Government Printing Office |location=Washington D.C. |pages=385–386 |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/17748/17748-h/17748-h.htm#ii_geographical_distribution |accessdate=June 4, 2016 |chapter=Geographic Distribution}}</ref> Neither the [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] name ("Place of the Basswoods") or the [[French language|French]] name ("River of Horses") survived, so the current name likely dates to the British occupation that began with the capture of Fort Niagara in 1759. The British engineer [[John Montresor]] mentions the name Buffalo Creek<ref name=Severance_1902>{{cite book |title=Buffalo Historical Society Publications |chapter=The Achievements of Captain John Montresor |author=Severance, Frank H. |editor=Buffalo Historical Society |location=Buffalo, NY |date=1902 |publisher=Bigelow Brothers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pBs8AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA15 |page=15 |accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref> four times in his journal of 1764, indicating that the name was in common use at that time. Numerous other [[Buffalo Creek (disambiguation)|Buffalo Creeks]] are feature names in the United States, many in eastern states. Scholars believe it is likely most were named after the animal, as was done with numerous Beaver Creeks, Otter Creeks, etc. The claim that the name is an Anglicized form of the name ''Beau Fleuve'' (''beautiful river''), which was supposedly an exclamation uttered by [[Louis Hennepin]] when he first saw the stream, is a likely explanation, and very popular.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}
It is believed that the city of Buffalo was named after Buffalo Creek.<ref name=Ketchum_1865>{{cite book |last1=Ketchum |first1=William |title=An Authentic and Comprehensive History of Buffalo, with Some Account of Its Early Inhabitants, Both Savage and Civilized, Comprising Historic Notices of the Six Nations, Or Iroquois Indians, Vol. II |chapter=Origin of the Name of Buffalo |date=1865 |publisher=Rockwell, Baker & Hill |location=Buffalo, NY |page=63 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F9oTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA63 |access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref> There are several unsourced theories for the origin of the creek's name. Early [[France|French]] and [[Moravians (ethnic group)|Moravian]] explorers reported the abundance of [[American bison|buffalo]]<ref>David Zeisberger's ''History of the Northern American Indian,'' c. 1790, edited by the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society |[http://publications.ohiohistory.org/ohj/browse/displaypages.php?display=0019&display=1&display=173] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015193139/http://publications.ohiohistory.org/ohj/browse/displaypages.php?display=0019&display=1&display=173|date=2014-10-15}}</ref> (or American bison) on the south shore of [[Lake Erie]], but their presence on the banks of Buffalo Creek is still a matter of debate. The origin of the name of the creek is still uncertain.<ref name=Bison_range>{{cite book |last1=Hornaday |first1=William T. |title=[[The Extermination of the American Bison]] |date=1889 |publisher=Government Printing Office |location=Washington D.C. |pages=385–386 |chapter-url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/17748/17748-h/17748-h.htm#ii_geographical_distribution |accessdate=June 4, 2016 |chapter=Geographic Distribution}}</ref> Neither the [[Seneca language|Seneca]] name (''Te-osah-wa'', "Place of the Basswoods") or the [[French language|French]] name ("River of Horses") survived, so the current name likely dates to the British occupation, which began with the capture of [[Fort Niagara]] in 1759. The British engineer [[John Montresor]] mentions the name Buffalo Creek<ref name=Severance_1902>{{cite book |title=Buffalo Historical Society Publications |chapter=The Achievements of Captain John Montresor |author=Severance, Frank H. |editor=Buffalo Historical Society |location=Buffalo, NY |date=1902 |publisher=Bigelow Brothers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pBs8AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA15 |page=15 |access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref> four times in his journal of 1764, indicating that the name was in common use at that time. Numerous other [[Buffalo Creek (disambiguation)|Buffalo Creeks]] are feature names in the United States, many in eastern states. Scholars believe it is likely most were named after the animal, as was done with numerous Beaver Creeks, Otter Creeks, etc.


== Contamination and remediation ==
== Contamination and remediation ==
The Buffalo River and to a lesser degree its tributaries have been the site of heavy industry, although this has declined in recent decades. This, along with large [[combined sewer|combined sewer overflows]] along the river, has resulted in highly contaminated sediments and impaired water quality. In 1987, most of the Buffalo River along with the City Ship Canal was listed as one of 43 [[Great Lakes Areas of Concern]] in The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://bnriverkeeper.org/programs/buffalo-river-restoration/the-buffalo-river-area-of-concern/ | title=The Buffalo River Area of Concern | publisher=[[Riverkeeper|Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper]] | accessdate=July 26, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804035935/http://bnriverkeeper.org/programs/buffalo-river-restoration/the-buffalo-river-area-of-concern/# | archive-date=2012-08-04 | url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2011, the Buffalo River Restoration Project commenced, which includes major dredging to remove contaminated sediment, habitat restoration, and site access projects. According to a statement by the Army Corps of Engineers in the spring of 2012, the project will result in the Buffalo River being removed from the list of Areas of Concern in three to five years.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/buffalo/article960763.ece | title=Dredging of Buffalo River sludge is due to finish phase by month's end | work=[[Buffalo News]] | date=July 23, 2012 | accessdate=July 26, 2012 | author=Baldwin, Richard E.}}</ref>
The Buffalo River and to a lesser degree its tributaries have been the site of heavy industry, although this has declined in recent decades. This, along with large [[combined sewer|combined sewer overflows]] along the river, has resulted in highly contaminated sediments and impaired water quality. In 1987, most of the Buffalo River along with the City Ship Canal was listed as one of 43 [[Great Lakes Areas of Concern]] in The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://bnriverkeeper.org/programs/buffalo-river-restoration/the-buffalo-river-area-of-concern/ | title=The Buffalo River Area of Concern | publisher=[[Riverkeeper|Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper]] | accessdate=July 26, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804035935/http://bnriverkeeper.org/programs/buffalo-river-restoration/the-buffalo-river-area-of-concern/# | archive-date=2012-08-04 | url-status=dead }}</ref> For over 60 years [[Stanley Spisiak]], known as Mr. Buffalo River, fought for the cleanup of the Buffalo River<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zach |first1=John |title=Mister Buffalo River - The Environmental Advocacy of Stan Spisiak |journal=Western New York Heritage |date=14 October 2020 |volume=23, #3 |issue=Fall 2020 |page=62 |url=https://www.wnyheritage.org/content/mister_buffalo_river_the_environmental_advocacy_of_stan_spisiak/index.html}}</ref> In 2011, the Buffalo River Restoration Project commenced, which includes major dredging to remove contaminated sediment, habitat restoration, and site access projects. According to a statement by the Army Corps of Engineers in the spring of 2012, the project will result in the Buffalo River being removed from the list of Areas of Concern in three to five years.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/buffalo/article960763.ece | title=Dredging of Buffalo River sludge is due to finish phase by month's end | work=[[Buffalo News]] | date=July 23, 2012 | accessdate=July 26, 2012 | author=Baldwin, Richard E.}}</ref>


==Recreation==
==Recreation==
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* [http://www.fbnr.org/programs/tributary/buffalo_river/Buffalo_river.htm Buffalo River Watershed]
* [http://www.fbnr.org/programs/tributary/buffalo_river/Buffalo_river.htm Buffalo River Watershed]
* [http://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/wdr-ny-03-3/wdrny033.pdf USGS Water Resources Data New York, Water Year 2003, Volume 3, Western New York]
* [http://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/wdr-ny-03-3/wdrny033.pdf USGS Water Resources Data New York, Water Year 2003, Volume 3, Western New York]

{{authority control}}


[[Category:Rivers of New York (state)]]
[[Category:Rivers of New York (state)]]

Latest revision as of 02:42, 2 December 2024

Buffalo River
Buffalo River where it empties into Lake Erie. The lighthouse on the left of the river is the Buffalo Main Light
Map
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CountiesErie, Wyoming
CityBuffalo
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • coordinates42°35′38″N 78°28′15″W / 42.59389°N 78.47083°W / 42.59389; -78.47083[1]
 • elevation1,450 ft (440 m)[2]
MouthLake Erie
 • location
Buffalo
 • coordinates
42°52′42″N 78°53′11″W / 42.87833°N 78.88639°W / 42.87833; -78.88639[3]
 • elevation
570 ft (170 m)[2]
Length8 mi (13 km) approximately
Basin size447 sq mi (1,160 km2) total watershed
Discharge 
 • locationBuffalo, NY
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftCayuga Creek
 • rightBuffalo Creek (New York), Cazenovia Creek

The Buffalo River drains a 447-square-mile (1,160 km2) watershed in Western New York state, emptying into the eastern end of Lake Erie at the City of Buffalo. The river has three tributaries: Cayuga Creek, Buffalo Creek, and Cazenovia Creek.

The Buffalo River has been important to the development of western New York, including as the terminus for the Erie Canal beginning in 1825, and later as an industrial area with uses including grain elevators, steel mills and chemical production. When shipping began to bypass the Erie Canal in the 1950s, and later heavy industry declined, the transportation and industrial uses of the river were greatly reduced. Many adjacent factories and grain mills were abandoned. The river and adjacent sites have been the focus of efforts over several decades to improve water quality and restore habitat, most recently in 2011 with the commencement of the Buffalo River Restoration Project.[4]

Geography

[edit]

The Buffalo River flows eastward from the point of confluence, passing through residential and heavily industrialized parts of the city. The river includes a 6.2-mile (10.0 km) federal navigation channel maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers at a depth of 23 feet (7.0 m) below lake level (along with an additional 1.4 miles [2.3 km] of the City Ship Canal).[5] Because of this designation, bridges in the navigable part of the river are required to allow for passage of high vessels, and many of them are drawbridges. The very low hydraulic gradient of the river, along with the dredging, gives the river an estuarine-like character. Much of the shoreline is hardened by riprap, bulkhead Towns of Arcade, Java, and Sheldon, before flowing into Erie County. The creek flows through Elma and West Seneca, before its confluence with Cayuga Creek in West Seneca.[6]

Cayuga Creek is the northernmost tributary in the watershed. This 40-mile-long (64 km) creek begins in primarily farmland/wooded areas and passes through several residential communities, including Cheektowaga, Lancaster, and Depew, before its confluence with Buffalo Creek.[6]

The East Branch of Cazenovia Creek begins in Sardinia, and the West Branch begins in Concord. The land adjacent to these two branches is primarily agricultural and wooded areas, with the exception of several small residential communities. The two branches meet near East Aurora, after which Cazenovia Creek flows through the towns of Aurora, Elma, and West Seneca, and the city of Buffalo until its confluence with the Buffalo River.[6]

History

[edit]

The Buffalo Creek area is believed to have been held by the Neutral Nation prior to the 1650s, when the Seneca nation and its Iroquois allies conquered the territory during the Beaver Wars. In the spring of 1780, the British established an Indian village on Buffalo Creek for the mostly Seneca people who had been forced off their lands after fighting for the British during the Sullivan Expedition of 1779. They had fled to Fort Niagara for refuge with the British. After the war, the Buffalo Creek area was developed further as a Seneca settlement.

On July 8, 1788, Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham met with Indians of the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy (including Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca) at Buffalo Creek to execute a deed or treaty for rights to their lands in New York State east of the Genesee River (see Phelps and Gorham Purchase).[7] In 1838, the Treaty of Buffalo Creek dealt with the disposition of the remaining land in New York held by the nations of the Iroquois Confederation. The federal government released a total of about 5 million acres for sale.

In 1825, the Buffalo River was the western terminus for the Erie Canal, constructed through the Mohawk River valley in New York state. Entry to the river from the Canal was gained via the mouth of a small tributary, Little Buffalo Creek, which was excavated and stabilized to form the Commercial Slip leading from the Erie Canal. The Buffalo River formed the southwest boundary of the rough pentagon that enclosed the "Five Points" or "Canal Street" district, bounded on the northeast by the Erie Canal. When the Canal was completed in 1825, New York Governor Dewitt Clinton's vessel was towed from the Canal through the Commercial Slip and Buffalo River to Lake Erie. There in a celebration ceremony, he poured Atlantic Ocean water into the Lake, and collected lake water to place in the ocean after his return trip to New York City.

Origin of the name

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It is believed that the city of Buffalo was named after Buffalo Creek.[8] There are several unsourced theories for the origin of the creek's name. Early French and Moravian explorers reported the abundance of buffalo[9] (or American bison) on the south shore of Lake Erie, but their presence on the banks of Buffalo Creek is still a matter of debate. The origin of the name of the creek is still uncertain.[10] Neither the Seneca name (Te-osah-wa, "Place of the Basswoods") or the French name ("River of Horses") survived, so the current name likely dates to the British occupation, which began with the capture of Fort Niagara in 1759. The British engineer John Montresor mentions the name Buffalo Creek[11] four times in his journal of 1764, indicating that the name was in common use at that time. Numerous other Buffalo Creeks are feature names in the United States, many in eastern states. Scholars believe it is likely most were named after the animal, as was done with numerous Beaver Creeks, Otter Creeks, etc.

Contamination and remediation

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The Buffalo River and to a lesser degree its tributaries have been the site of heavy industry, although this has declined in recent decades. This, along with large combined sewer overflows along the river, has resulted in highly contaminated sediments and impaired water quality. In 1987, most of the Buffalo River along with the City Ship Canal was listed as one of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern in The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada.[12] For over 60 years Stanley Spisiak, known as Mr. Buffalo River, fought for the cleanup of the Buffalo River[13] In 2011, the Buffalo River Restoration Project commenced, which includes major dredging to remove contaminated sediment, habitat restoration, and site access projects. According to a statement by the Army Corps of Engineers in the spring of 2012, the project will result in the Buffalo River being removed from the list of Areas of Concern in three to five years.[14]

Recreation

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The Buffalo office of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation established the Buffalo River Urban Canoe Trail and published a guide in the 1990s describing the bridges, factories and other points of interest along the river.[15] In 2011, Buffalo River Fest Park was opened along the river, including docks, a boardwalk, and a band stand.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Buffalo Creek
  2. ^ a b Google Earth elevation for GNIS coordinates.
  3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Buffalo River
  4. ^ "Buffalo River Restoration Project". NYSDEC. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  5. ^ "BUFFALO RIVER STRATEGIC NAVIGATIONAL DREDGING" (PDF). USACE. Retrieved July 26, 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ a b c "Buffalo River Watershed". Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  7. ^ McKeveley, Blake (January 1939). "Historic Aspects of the Phelps and Gorham Treaty of July 4-8, 1788" (PDF). Rochester History. 1 (1). Rochester Public Library. ISSN 0035-7413. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  8. ^ Ketchum, William (1865). "Origin of the Name of Buffalo". An Authentic and Comprehensive History of Buffalo, with Some Account of Its Early Inhabitants, Both Savage and Civilized, Comprising Historic Notices of the Six Nations, Or Iroquois Indians, Vol. II. Buffalo, NY: Rockwell, Baker & Hill. p. 63. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  9. ^ David Zeisberger's History of the Northern American Indian, c. 1790, edited by the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society |[1] Archived 2014-10-15 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Hornaday, William T. (1889). "Geographic Distribution". The Extermination of the American Bison. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office. pp. 385–386. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  11. ^ Severance, Frank H. (1902). "The Achievements of Captain John Montresor". In Buffalo Historical Society (ed.). Buffalo Historical Society Publications. Buffalo, NY: Bigelow Brothers. p. 15. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  12. ^ "The Buffalo River Area of Concern". Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. Archived from the original on 2012-08-04. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  13. ^ Zach, John (14 October 2020). "Mister Buffalo River - The Environmental Advocacy of Stan Spisiak". Western New York Heritage. 23, #3 (Fall 2020): 62.
  14. ^ Baldwin, Richard E. (July 23, 2012). "Dredging of Buffalo River sludge is due to finish phase by month's end". Buffalo News. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  15. ^ "Buffalo River Urban Canoe Trail Guide" (PDF). NYSDEC. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  16. ^ Neville, Anne (31 May 2011). "Buffalo River Fest Park gets ready for debut as waterfront attraction". Buffalo News. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
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