Six Mile Creek (Ithaca) facts for kids

Six Mile Creek is a stream about 20 miles (32 km) long in Tompkins County, New York. It starts in the Town of Dryden and flows into Cayuga Inlet. The Cayuga Inlet then empties into Cayuga Lake. This creek is super important because it provides most of the drinking water for the city of Ithaca and nearby towns.

The creek begins on private land between two state forests: Yellow Barn State Forest and Hammond Hill State Forest. It flows south into the Town of Caroline. Then it goes under New York State Route 79 in Slaterville Springs. After that, it turns west until it reaches Brooktondale. From Brooktondale, it flows northwest into the Town of Ithaca. Along this path, several dams slow its flow. Finally, it reaches the Cayuga Inlet in Ithaca, near the southern end of Cayuga Lake.

How Six Mile Creek Was Formed

The Ice Age and Valley Shapes

Long, long ago, during the last Ice Age (called the Pleistocene Epoch), huge sheets of ice, or glaciers, moved across the land. These glaciers shaped the valley where Six Mile Creek now flows. This happened until about 17,500 years ago.

The main ice sheets split near what is now Brooktondale. This caused the upper part of the valley (from the start of the creek to Brooktondale) to be different from the lower part (from Brooktondale to the end). The upper valley has very steep walls, like a deep canyon.

How the Creek Carved Its Path

When the glaciers melted, they left a lot of dirt and rocks in the lower valley. The creek then started to flow over these new sediments. Over time, the water washed away some of these sediments, uncovering older valleys. In other places, the creek cut into the solid rock to create new, narrow gorges.

Because of this, the lower valley looks like a string of beads. The wider parts are where the creek uncovered old valleys. The narrower parts are the new gorges it carved into the rock.

A Look at Six Mile Creek's Past

Early Travel and Names

The lower valley of Six Mile Creek was once an important path for travel into Ithaca. The Cayuga people, who lived here long ago, called the creek Teegastoweas.

Later, English settlers gave it the name "Six Mile Creek." This name came from the distance between a crossing near Brooktondale and a trail meeting point in Ithaca.

Mills and Early Industries

The fast-flowing water of Six Mile Creek was perfect for powering machines. Many sawmills were built along the creek. These mills used the water's power to cut wood. There was also at least one grist mill, the Van Natta Mill, in Ithaca. Grist mills grind grain into flour.

Dams and Water Supply

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, several dams were built on the lower creek. These dams were placed at the narrow "bead" sections of the gorge.

• First Dam (Van Natta's Dam): This dam was above the Van Natta gristmill. In 1892, the Ithaca Water and Light Company bought it. They used it to provide drinking water for the city. The old mill building is still there today.
• Second Dam (30-foot Dam): This dam was built upstream in 1902.
• Third Dam (60-foot Dam or Potters Fall Dam): This dam was built in 1911.
• Silt Dam: In 1925, a siltation trap, called the Silt Dam, was built above the 60-foot Dam. This dam helps catch dirt and debris.

The reservoir behind the 60-foot dam is a very important source of water for the City of Ithaca. It's sometimes called the Ithaca Reservoir. In 2010, the city decided to fix up its water treatment plant instead of joining another water system.

The reservoir above the Second Dam has become a popular spot for swimming, even though it's not officially allowed.