Sprout Creek facts for kids
Sprout Creek is a cool stream, or small river, that flows for about 24.8 miles (40 kilometers) in Dutchess County, New York, United States. It's the biggest helper stream for Fishkill Creek, joining it about 11 miles (18 km) before Fishkill Creek reaches the big Hudson River. Sprout Creek is a special place for fish! Every year, about 6,000 brown trout are added to the creek, and it also has its own natural population of these fish.
Sprout Creek's Journey
Sprout Creek starts its journey in Millbrook, high up at about 755 feet (230 meters). It flows mostly south, passing through a town called Verbank. After Verbank, the creek turns west for a bit, then goes back to flowing southwest.
The creek winds around small hills and mountains. It crosses under New York State Route 55 and then the Taconic State Parkway. Soon after, another stream called Jackson Creek joins Sprout Creek. Jackson Creek brings water from a large area of Union Vale and also has some brown trout.
Sprout Creek continues its path, eventually passing under New York State Route 82 again. A bridge built in 1934 crosses the creek here. Long ago, in 1722, a person named William Verplanck built a dam and a grinding mill on the creek's banks. This mill was very important during the American Revolution, grinding lots of grain for soldiers.
The creek's journey ends when it flows into Fishkill Creek, just north of New York State Route 52. Sprout Creek also flows through Sprout Creek Farm, which is an educational farm in the town of LaGrange.
The Sprout Creek Area
The area that Sprout Creek drains, called its watershed, is about 46 square miles (119 square kilometers). This watershed makes up about 24% of the entire Fishkill Creek watershed. In 2000, about 17% of this land was used for farming.
Experts say the creek's water quality is "good." However, sometimes farming activities, water treatment plants, and home septic systems can cause some pollution. The creek helps drain parts of La Grange, Union Vale, Wappinger, and East Fishkill.
Sprout Creek is one of only three creeks in Dutchess County that has trout. As mentioned, 6,000 brown trout are added each year, and wild trout live there too. A group of local people formed the Sprout Creek Association. They did this because they were worried about the creek's health due to a rock mine nearby. They wanted to protect this important waterway.
