Mill Creek (Lake Erie)
Encyclopedia
The Mill Creek is a 19 miles (30.6 km) long tributary
of Lake Erie
in Erie County
in the U.S. state
of Pennsylvania
. It flows from Millcreek Township
through the city of Erie
, into Presque Isle Bay
.
Much of the creek in the city was channeled into the Mill Creek Tube, which was constructed after the Mill Creek's disastrous flood struck the city in 1915.
and travels westward until it is joined by a couple of smaller tributary streams. From there, it roughly follows Pennsylvania Route 505
(Glenwood Park Avenue) northward until the creek is diverted underground.
The creek passes through the middle of the Erie Zoo
, where several bridges span the creek. One of the bridges is designed to act as a "drift
catcher", preventing large debris from entering the tube further downstream. The drift catcher is also used by the zoo's train to cross over the Mill Creek.
At 30th Street, the Mill Creek is diverted underground, for over 2 miles (3 km) through the Mill Creek Tube and passes underneath downtown Erie
. The creek reappears above ground on the northern side of the Bayfront Parkway before emptying into Presque Isle Bay
, at the eastern end of the bay, near South Pier.
on March 12, 1800, with the township being incorporated at the same time.
s and thirteen sawmill
s were located along and powered by the Mill Creek.
banks
collapsed, carrying numerous small outbuildings into the creek. The resulting debris obstructed a culvert
under 26th Street, producing a reservoir
extending for four city block
s. Attempts to clear the blockage, involving the use of dynamite
, failed.
Around 8:30 PM, the culvert gave way, releasing the pent up floodwaters into downtown Erie. The flood traveled through the city at 25 miles per hour (11.2 m/s), leaving a path of destruction 3 miles (4.8 km) long and 6 blocks wide. In all, 225 houses were damaged or destroyed, along with over 300 other buildings and 36 fatalities. To prevent another flood, the city enclosed the Mill Creek in a concrete tube running underneath the city.
tube that carries the Mill Creek under the city of Erie. Built to prevent another catastrophic flood similar to the one in 1915, the tube was completed in 1923. It begins on the southern side of West 30th Street and terminates on the northern side of the Bayfront Parkway. The tube contains over 70,000 barrels
, or 13600 short tons (12,142.8 LT), of cement
and drops 200 feet (61 m) overs its total length.
As the tube is "large enough for a Jeep
or [a] pickup
to ride through—and turn around in", it is occasionally the site of water rescues
when people have been swept into it when the creek is high, and have become stranded. One such rescue occurred on July 26, 2007, after three teenagers were caught up in the swiftly moving Mill Creek. One was rescued by firefighters near the mouth of the tube, another near 26th Street, and one traversed the entire tube before being rescued.
Situated about a 1 miles (1.6 km) upstream of the tube is a drift catcher used to stop large debris from reaching the tube. The catcher is 209 feet (63.7 m) long and 18 feet (5.5 m) high. It was built at the same time as the construction of the tube. The catcher was modified in 1965 to accommodate the Erie Zoo's miniature railroad
. It underwent a $476,800 restoration from May to August 2010 to seal cracks, repair deteriorating concrete and inspect one of the bridge's retaining wall
s.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
in Erie County
Erie County, Pennsylvania
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 280,566. Its county seat is the City of Erie.- Geography :...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It flows from Millcreek Township
Millcreek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania
Millcreek Township is a township in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 53,515 at the 2010 census. It is the largest suburb of Erie, Pennsylvania and the sixth-largest municipality in the state; larger than the cities of Altoona and Harrisburg.Millcreek Township is home to...
through the city of Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, into Presque Isle Bay
Presque Isle Bay
Presque Isle Bay is a natural bay located off the coast of Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. Its embayment is about in length, about across at its widest point, and an average depth of about . The bay is bounded on the north and west by a recurved peninsula that makes up Presque Isle State Park...
.
Much of the creek in the city was channeled into the Mill Creek Tube, which was constructed after the Mill Creek's disastrous flood struck the city in 1915.
Course
The Mill Creek begins in extreme eastern Millcreek TownshipMillcreek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania
Millcreek Township is a township in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 53,515 at the 2010 census. It is the largest suburb of Erie, Pennsylvania and the sixth-largest municipality in the state; larger than the cities of Altoona and Harrisburg.Millcreek Township is home to...
and travels westward until it is joined by a couple of smaller tributary streams. From there, it roughly follows Pennsylvania Route 505
Pennsylvania Route 505
Pennsylvania Route 505 is a 2 mile long state highway located in northwest Pennsylvania. The route is a continuation of Pennsylvania Route 97 along the Perry Highway and ends at U.S. Route 20 in Erie as Glenwood Park Avenue....
(Glenwood Park Avenue) northward until the creek is diverted underground.
The creek passes through the middle of the Erie Zoo
Erie Zoo
The Erie Zoo , is a zoological park in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is located on of land in Glenwood Park, just off West 38th Street between Cherry Street and Glenwood Park Avenue...
, where several bridges span the creek. One of the bridges is designed to act as a "drift
Driftwood
Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea or river by the action of winds, tides, waves or man. It is a form of marine debris or tidewrack....
catcher", preventing large debris from entering the tube further downstream. The drift catcher is also used by the zoo's train to cross over the Mill Creek.
At 30th Street, the Mill Creek is diverted underground, for over 2 miles (3 km) through the Mill Creek Tube and passes underneath downtown Erie
Downtown Erie
Downtown Erie, is the central business, cultural and government center for the city of Erie, Pennsylvania, USA.Erie’s Central Business District includes Gannon University, UPMC Hamot hospital, Erie Insurance, and city and county government offices, as well as other non-government related commercial...
. The creek reappears above ground on the northern side of the Bayfront Parkway before emptying into Presque Isle Bay
Presque Isle Bay
Presque Isle Bay is a natural bay located off the coast of Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. Its embayment is about in length, about across at its widest point, and an average depth of about . The bay is bounded on the north and west by a recurved peninsula that makes up Presque Isle State Park...
, at the eastern end of the bay, near South Pier.
History
The city of Erie and Millcreek Township were both settled in 1795. Erie County was formed from portions from Allegheny CountyAllegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,223,348; making it the second most populous county in Pennsylvania, following Philadelphia County. The county seat is Pittsburgh...
on March 12, 1800, with the township being incorporated at the same time.
Mills
The first mill in Erie County was built at the mouth of the creek, giving the creek its name. By 1835, four gristmillGristmill
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 thirteen sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s were located along and powered by the Mill Creek.
Flood
The Mill Creek had a history of overflowing its banks, with one happening in 1893; however the worst such flood occurred on August 3, 1915. After a series of storms produced over 5.77 inches (14.7 cm) of rain in 13 hours, saturated soil on thebanks
Bank (geography)
A geographic bank has four definitions and applications:# Limnology: The shoreline of a pond, swamp, estuary, reservoir, or lake. The grade can vary from vertical to a shallow slope....
collapsed, carrying numerous small outbuildings into the creek. The resulting debris obstructed a culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
under 26th Street, producing a reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
extending for four city block
City block
A city block, urban block or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest area that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are the space for buildings within the street pattern of a city, they form the basic unit of a city's urban fabric...
s. Attempts to clear the blockage, involving the use of dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
, failed.
Around 8:30 PM, the culvert gave way, releasing the pent up floodwaters into downtown Erie. The flood traveled through the city at 25 miles per hour (11.2 m/s), leaving a path of destruction 3 miles (4.8 km) long and 6 blocks wide. In all, 225 houses were damaged or destroyed, along with over 300 other buildings and 36 fatalities. To prevent another flood, the city enclosed the Mill Creek in a concrete tube running underneath the city.
Mill Creek Tube
The Mill Creek Tube is a 22 feet (6.7 m) wide, 19 feet (5.8 m) tall, and 12280 feet (3,742.9 m) long, reinforced concreteReinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
tube that carries the Mill Creek under the city of Erie. Built to prevent another catastrophic flood similar to the one in 1915, the tube was completed in 1923. It begins on the southern side of West 30th Street and terminates on the northern side of the Bayfront Parkway. The tube contains over 70,000 barrels
Barrel (unit)
A barrel is one of several units of volume, with dry barrels, fluid barrels , oil barrel, etc...
, or 13600 short tons (12,142.8 LT), of cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
and drops 200 feet (61 m) overs its total length.
As the tube is "large enough for a Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
or [a] pickup
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
to ride through—and turn around in", it is occasionally the site of water rescues
Swiftwater rescue
Swiftwater rescue is a subset of technical rescue dealing in whitewater river conditions. Due to the added pressure of moving water, swiftwater rescue involves the use of specially trained personnel, ropes and mechanical advantage systems that are often much more robust than those used in standard...
when people have been swept into it when the creek is high, and have become stranded. One such rescue occurred on July 26, 2007, after three teenagers were caught up in the swiftly moving Mill Creek. One was rescued by firefighters near the mouth of the tube, another near 26th Street, and one traversed the entire tube before being rescued.
Situated about a 1 miles (1.6 km) upstream of the tube is a drift catcher used to stop large debris from reaching the tube. The catcher is 209 feet (63.7 m) long and 18 feet (5.5 m) high. It was built at the same time as the construction of the tube. The catcher was modified in 1965 to accommodate the Erie Zoo's miniature railroad
Ridable miniature railway
A ridable miniature railway is a ground-level, large scale model railway that hauls passengers using locomotives that are models of full-sized railway locomotives .-Overview:Typically they have a rail track gauge between and , though both larger and...
. It underwent a $476,800 restoration from May to August 2010 to seal cracks, repair deteriorating concrete and inspect one of the bridge's retaining wall
Retaining wall
Retaining walls are built in order to hold back earth which would otherwise move downwards. Their purpose is to stabilize slopes and provide useful areas at different elevations, e.g...
s.
See also
- Lake Erie Watershed (Pennsylvania)Lake Erie Watershed (Pennsylvania)Lake Erie Watershed is a major drainage catchment in northwestern Pennsylvania, consisting of lands with direct runoff and sub-watersheds with waterways that flow into Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay from Crawford and Erie counties, as well as from New York...
- List of rivers of Pennsylvania