Sucker Brook (Canandaigua Lake) facts for kids

Sucker Brook is a small stream in New York State, United States. It flows into the northwest part of Canandaigua Lake. The brook is about 6 miles (10 km) long. It gets its name from the white sucker fish that live in its waters.

The brook starts in the uplands of the Town of Canandaigua. It flows in a curvy, hairpin shape before reaching the lake in the City of Canandaigua. Long ago, Sucker Brook might have flowed into a different body of water. But after the last Ice Age, its path changed to drain into the newly formed Canandaigua Lake.

The water in Sucker Brook picks up lime from the limestone rocks it flows over. This lime helps create special "water biscuits" on Squaw Island. This island is near the brook's mouth and is one of only two islands in the 11 Finger Lakes.

The Brook's Journey

Sucker Brook begins in a wooded area in the Town of Canandaigua. This spot is about 1.5 miles (3 km) west of Canandaigua Lake and 1,020 feet (311 m) above sea level.

At first, the brook flows northwest through open farmland. It then turns north and northeast, following the natural slope of the land. It collects water from farm fields as it continues its journey.

As the brook moves east, its banks become lined with trees. It flows into a large wooded wetland and joins another small stream. The combined stream then flows north, passing under Bristol Road.

The brook then drops more sharply, losing about 80 feet (24 m) in elevation. It continues to be surrounded by trees, creating natural borders for the fields it passes. After crossing Buffalo Street Extension, it curves northeast, then northwest, and briefly northeast again before going under North Bloomfield Road. Here, it loses another 100 feet (30 m) in elevation.

Sucker Brook then makes a big turn to the east, bending southeast. It flows almost straight southwest, running close to the western edge of the City of Canandaigua.

Near Woodlawn Cemetery, the brook turns east again and enters the city. It straightens out as it crosses several streets. Finally, it flows into Canandaigua Lake just west of the city pier. The part of the stream near the lake has been changed over time. It is wider in some spots to allow for boat slips, and its mouth has been dredged to make it easier for boats.

Fish and Wildlife

Sucker Brook is named after the white sucker fish. These fish swim into the brook from Canandaigua Lake in April and May to lay their eggs. They have been seen quite far upstream from the lake.

The eggs hatch in about 5 to 10 days. Once the young fish, called fry, grow bigger, they return to the lake. White suckers can live in different water conditions, so their presence doesn't always tell us if the water is super clean or not.

These fish mostly eat food from the bottom of the stream. Young fish eat tiny crustaceans, algae, and rotifers. Adult suckers prefer larger crustaceans, insects, and snails. Other creatures found in the brook include dragonfly and crane fly larvae.

How the Land Shaped the Brook

Most of the land around Sucker Brook is made of limestone and shale bedrock. The soil is mostly glacial till, which is left over from glaciers. Near the mouth of the brook, the soil is made of silt and clay.

The brook's sudden change in direction towards the lake suggests it formed after the last Ice Age. It likely flowed into a different water body at first. But then, a process called stream piracy changed its path to drain into the newly formed Canandaigua Lake.

The way Sucker Brook's water flows into the lake, combined with the lake's currents, helped create Squaw Island. This island is made of sediments deposited by the brook. It is one of only two islands in the 11 Finger Lakes.

The lime dissolved in the brook's water mixes with algae. This creates a rare natural wonder called oncolites. These are small, flat, lime-covered pebbles that look like "water biscuits." Because of these unique formations, the state officially protected Squaw Island in 1918. Today, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation calls it a Unique Area.

Water Quality and Care

In 1999, some researchers studied Sucker Brook's water. They wanted to see how clean it was because people living nearby had noticed it seemed dirty. There aren't many big factories in the area, but a lot of the land upstream is used for farming.

In the past, some spills into the brook included waste from winemaking, which is a big industry in the region. Also, road salt used on highways would wash into the creek. This caused higher levels of chloride in the water. Animal waste from farms also flowed into the brook's headwaters.

The researchers suggested ways to help clean up the brook. They noticed that a lot more road salt was used near Sucker Brook than other places around the lake. They also found that the town's salt supplies were not protected from rain, allowing salt to wash into the brook. High levels of certain bacteria in the city part of the brook suggested that some city sewer pipes might have been wrongly connected to storm drains. The researchers asked the city to look into this.

Ten years later, the researchers reported on the progress. The town, city, and local conservation groups worked together. A new barn was built to store the town's road salt, which helped stop it from washing into the brook. The city also made big improvements to its sewer systems.

The researchers saw that chloride levels had gone down a little, but more work might still be needed to keep Sucker Brook healthy.