Cedar Creek is a 32.7 miles (52.6 km) stream in southeastern Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It emanates from Cedar Lake in the town of West Bend

West Bend (town), Wisconsin

West Bend is a town in Washington County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,834 at the 2000 census. The City of West Bend is located partially within the town...

, then flows east into Little Cedar Lake

Little Cedar Lake (Wisconsin)

Little Cedar Lake is a lake in Southeastern Wisconsin; United States. It is located at the geographic center of Washington County, in the Town of West Bend, and Town of Polk. The lake covers an area of acres, has a shoreline of miles, and reaches a maximum depth of feet...

. Eventually the creek flows to the southeast and runs directly through the heart of Cedarburg

Cedarburg, Wisconsin

Cedarburg is a city in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States with Cedar Creek running through it. The city is bordered by the Village of Grafton to the east and the Town of Cedarburg elsewhere...

. The creek empties into the Milwaukee River

Milwaukee River

The Milwaukee River is a river in the state of Wisconsin. It is about long.- Description :The river begins in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin and flows south past Grafton to downtown Milwaukee, where it empties into Lake Michigan...

 within the town of Grafton

Grafton (town), Wisconsin

Grafton is a town in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,132 at the 2000 census. The Town of Grafton is located about twenty miles north of downtown Milwaukee on the shore of Lake Michigan. It is east of the Village of Grafton and Town of Cedarburg, south of the Town of...

.

The lower portion of the creek, once heavily polluted by industrial outflowage (including the former Mercury Marine

Mercury Marine

Mercury Marine, founded in 1939, is a division of Brunswick of Lake Forest, Illinois, in the United States. Mercury provides engines for private, commercial and government sales. Mercury also has its own line of very successful racing engines tailored for power and speed. The company's primary...

 boat engine plant), was rejuvenated in the late 1980s and 1990s. Several species of fish are found in the creek, including northern pike

Northern Pike

The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...

, rock bass

Rock bass

The rock bass , also known as the rock perch, goggle-eye, or red eye is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. They are similar in appearance to smallmouth bass but are usually quite a bit smaller...

, smallmouth bass

Smallmouth bass

The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...

, bluegill

Bluegill

The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...

s, sunfish

Sunfish

-Saltwater fishes:*Molidae, family of Ocean Sunfishes*Opah, family Lampridae; two species-Freshwater fishes:* Pygmy sunfish, six members of the genus Elassoma* Centrarchidae, a perciform family of about 27 species...

, carp

Carp

Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...

, suckers

Catostomidae

Catostomidae is the sucker family of the order Cypriniformes. There are 80 species in this family of freshwater fishes. Catostomidae are found in North America, east central China, and eastern Siberia...

 and bullhead

Bullhead

-Fishes:* Certain sculpins, including:** European bullhead, Cottus gobio** Siberian bullhead, Cottus poecilopus** Norway bullhead, Taurulus Liljeborgi* Catfish of the genus Ameiurus, including:** Black bullhead, Ameiurus melas...

s. Several gristmill

Gristmill

The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...

s and a woolen mill were built along the creek in the mid-19th century, including several in downtown Cedarburg.