Lemon Creek (Staten Island) facts for kids
Lemon Creek is a cool stream found on the South Shore of Staten Island in New York City. It's special because it's one of the few creeks in New York City that still flows naturally above ground.
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Where is Lemon Creek Located?
Lemon Creek starts from a pipe under Rossville Avenue. It then flows into a small lake called Porzio's Pond. Water from this pond reaches the creek both above and below the ground.
The creek generally flows south. Near Drumgoole Road West and Maguire Avenue, a smaller stream called Sandy Brook joins Lemon Creek. Sandy Brook begins south of Sharrotts Road, near the West Shore Expressway.
Lemon Creek continues south, passing under the Korean War Veterans Parkway and Drumgoole Roads. As it moves further south, it gets wider and flows through marshy areas, especially south of the Staten Island Railway. The creek then turns east, goes under Bayview Avenue, and then turns south again.
Right before it reaches the ocean, another small stream from Wolfe's Pond joins it. Wolfe's Pond is inside a city park called Wolfe's Pond Park. You can find a marina and places for boats near here. Finally, Lemon Creek flows into Prince's Bay, which is part of Raritan Bay. This is near Bayview Avenue and Johnston Terrace.
Throughout its journey, Lemon Creek acts like a natural border between the neighborhoods of Prince's Bay and Pleasant Plains on Staten Island's South Shore. The area that drains into the creek, called its watershed, is about 2 square miles (5.2 square kilometers). The lower parts of the creek, especially below the Staten Island Railway, have large marshlands. These marshes are the biggest and most untouched on the south shore of Staten Island. They include both salty marshes and the only freshwater marsh on Staten Island that is affected by tides.
Parks Along the Creek
A big part of Lemon Creek, especially below Hylan Boulevard, is part of Lemon Creek Park. This park was created in 1962 and covers about 105.77 acres (42.80 hectares). The park also includes the historic Seguine Mansion. The northern, wooded part of the park is called the Lemon Creek Park Preserve, which is about 15.99 acres (6.47 hectares).
Wolfe's Pond and the stream that feeds it, Wolfe Brook, are part of Wolfe's Pond Park, which is much larger at 341.33 acres (138.13 hectares). The upper parts of Lemon Creek and most of Sandy Brook flow through Bloomingdale Park, which is 138.67 acres (56.12 hectares).
What is the History of Lemon Creek?
The first time Lemon Creek was written about was in 1670. It was mentioned as a boundary for a large piece of land given to a person named Paulus Regrenier. The Abraham Manee Homestead might even be where Regrenier's first home was.
Long ago, many clams lived at the mouth of the creek in Prince's Bay. The oysters harvested there were so good that they were sent all the way to London! Selling these oysters helped the local Seguine family become very wealthy.
However, people stopped collecting shellfish in the area in the 1920s. This happened because of a sickness called typhoid fever that was linked to oysters from Raritan Bay. Today, you still can't collect clams for fun because of pollution. But, commercial clamming is allowed if the clams are moved to clean water before they are harvested. The Lemon Creek marina is now a base for boats that go clamming.
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In 1830, the creek was known as Seguine's Creek, named after the Seguine family. By 1895, it was called the Little North River. Soon after, it started being called Lemon Creek. No one is quite sure how it got this name!
What Animals Live in Lemon Creek?
The marshes along the lower part of Lemon Creek are a great home for many water birds. You can see swans, mallards, and black ducks there. These marshes are also a safe place for birds that are migrating, as well as monarch butterflies. Lemon Creek Park is also special because it has the only purple martin colony in New York City. Birdwatchers love to visit and see these birds!
In the middle of the marshes on the lower creek, there's a small place called Ziel's Island. It's also known as Crab Island because of all the fiddler crabs and blue crabs that live there. People also catch clams for sale off the mouth of the creek. You can catch different kinds of marine fish from a fishing pier located at the creek's mouth.
