Canaseraga Creek

Canaseraga Creek is a stream that flows through Livingston, Steuben, and Allegany Counties in western and central New York.^[1][4] It is a tributary of the Genesee River, and its 334-square-mile (870 km²) watershed is the largest sub-watershed of that river.^[2]

Canaseraga Creek
Location of the mouth of Canaseraga Creek in New York State Show map of New York Canaseraga Creek (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location
Country	United States
State	New York
Counties	Livingston, Steuben, Allegany
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Town of Nunda, Livingston County
• coordinates	42°33′44″N 77°52′51″W[1]
Mouth	Genesee River
• location	Near Mount Morris, Livingston County
• coordinates	42°45′19″N 77°50′26″W[1]
Basin size	334 sq mi (870 km2)[2]
Discharge
• location	Shakers Crossing (1.4 miles [2.3 km] upstream from mouth)[3]
• average	309 cu ft/s (8.7 m3/s)[3]
• minimum	4.3 cu ft/s (0.12 m3/s) (August 19, 1970)[3]
• maximum	5,510 cu ft/s (156 m3/s) (January 19, 1996)[3]
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Keshequa Creek

The creek's name is of Seneca origin, and was recorded in early records as Ganusgago, Kanuskago, and Caniskrauga. Translations of the name include both "among the milkweeds" and "slippery elms".^[5]

Course

Canaseraga Creek rises in the town of Nunda, and initially flows south. The creek turns eastward before passing through the village of Canaseraga, after which it flows north. It passes to the west of the village of Dansville, and continues north before joining the Genesee River east of the village of Mount Morris and just downstream of the Mount Morris Dam.

The creek's watershed is the largest sub-watershed of Genesee River. It is primarily composed of agricultural land (46.8%) and forests (44.4%), with 5.7% of the watershed developed for residential and industrial uses.^[2]

Recreation

The main stem of Canaseraga Creek is annually stocked with brown trout by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; in 2015, the creek was stocked with 5,670 trout at locations in Allegany and Steuben counties.^[6][7] Anglers may also target small populations of wild brown trout that are found in Mill Creek and Sugar Creek, both of which flow into Canaseraga Creek near Dansville.^[8]

Whitewater rafting takes place in the upper reaches of the creek. An eight-mile (13 km) stretch of the creek upstream of Dansville contains class IV and V rapids, although water levels are frequently too low for rafting outside of spring flooding events.^[9]

See also

• List of rivers of New York

References

1. "Canaseraga Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
2. Rea, Evan; Makarewicz, Joseph C.; Lewis, Theodore W. (2013). Genesee River Watershed Project, Volume 5, Water Quality Analysis of the Canaseraga Creek Watershed Nutrient Concentration and Loading, Identification of Point and Nonpoint Sources of Pollution, Total Maximum Daily Load, and an Assessment of Management Practices using the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Model (Report). pp. 9–10. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
3. "04227000 Canaseraga Creek at Shakers Crossing, NY, Water Data Report 2013" (PDF). National Water Information System. United States Geological Survey. 1959–2013. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
4. "Great Lakes Tributary Modeling: Canaseraga Creek Watershed SWAT Model" (PDF). US Army Corps of Engineers. May 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 17, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
5. Beauchamp, William Martin (1907). Aboriginal Place Names of New York (New York State Museum Bulletin, Volume 108). New York State Education Department. p. 102. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
6. "2015 Fish Stocking in Allegany County". NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
7. "2015 Fish Stocking in Steuben County". NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
8. Newman, Eric (2010). Flyfisher's Guide to New York. Wilderness Adventures Press. p. 389. ISBN 9781932098792. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
9. "Canaseraga to Dansville, Canaseraga Creek New York, US". American Whitewater. Retrieved July 22, 2016.