Steele Creek (Mohawk River tributary)

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Steele Creek
Steele Creek November 22, 2021.jpg
Steele Creek along NY 51 by Ilion
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Location of the mouth of Steele Creek
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Steele Creek (Mohawk River tributary) (the United States)
Location
Country United States
State New York
Region Central New York
County Herkimer
Physical characteristics
SourceUnnamed swamp
  locationSouth of Cedarville
  coordinates 42°54′58″N75°07′18″W / 42.9161821°N 75.1215485°W / 42.9161821; -75.1215485 [1]
Mouth Mohawk River
  location
Ilion
  coordinates
43°01′20″N75°02′38″W / 43.0222924°N 75.0437684°W / 43.0222924; -75.0437684 Coordinates: 43°01′20″N75°02′38″W / 43.0222924°N 75.0437684°W / 43.0222924; -75.0437684 [1]
  elevation
384 ft (117 m) [1]
Basin size27.4 sq mi (71 km2) [2]
Basin features
ProgressionSteele Creek → Mohawk River → Hudson RiverUpper New York Bay

Steele Creek is a river in Herkimer County in the state of New York. The creek begins in an unnamed swamp south of Cedarville, and flows in a northeast direction before emptying into the Mohawk River in the village of Ilion. Steele Creek travels through the Ilion Gorge and alongside NY-51 for most of its length. [3] Steele Creek derives its name from Rudolph Stahl (Staele, Staley, Steele), who built the first grist mill in Ilion along the creek.

Contents

Hydrology

Discharge

USGS stream gauge in Ilion USGS Steele Creek gauge Ilion.jpg
USGS stream gauge in Ilion

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) maintains a stream gauge on the creek 1.2 miles (1.9 km) upstream from the mouth in the Village of Ilion at the Frederick Street bridge. The station was in operation from November 1966 to September 1968 and then from October 2014 to now. It also took annual maximum measurements from 1964-1966, 1969, 1971-1983, 1985-1986, and 2000. The station had an estimated maximum discharge of 2,100 cubic feet (59 m3) per second and a gauge height of 5.69 feet (1.73 m) on May 13, 2000. It had minimum discharge of 4.4 cubic feet (0.12 m3) per second on On August 7, 2018. [4]

Flooding

On January 12, 2018, ice that broke loose by unseasonably high temperatures and rainfall caused ice jams in Steele Creek by Ilion which caused the water to crest over on Otsego Street (NY-51). [5]

History

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Steele Creek". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey . Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  2. "USGS 0134273105 Steele Creek at mouth at Ilion NY". usgs.gov. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  3. "Ilion Gorge". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey . Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  4. "USGS 01342730 STEELE CREEK AT ILION NY". waterdata.usgs.gov. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  5. "A section of Otsego Street in the village of Ilion is currently closed due to flooding from Steele Creek". Utica, NY. 12 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  6. "The cider mill". Nygenweb.net. ny gen web. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  7. "Early Ilion". Nygenweb.net. ny gen web. Retrieved April 20, 2017.