page_title: Lake Erie Watershed (Pennsylvania)
section_title: Presque Isle Bay Watershed
hierarchical_section_title: Lake Erie Watershed (Pennsylvania) / Sub-units of the watershed / Presque Isle Bay Watershed
caption_attribution_description: English: The Mill Creek in the city of Erie, Pennsylvania; south of the Tube.
context_page_description: Lake Erie Watershed is a major drainage catchment in northwestern Pennsylvania, consisting of lands with direct runoff and sub-watersheds with waterways that flow into Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay from Crawford and Erie counties, as well as from New York. The watershed is part of the Lake Erie Basin.
context_section_description: This watershed, which covers 65 km², consists of lands in the City of Erie and two neighboring townships which surround three direct runoff zones, including Presque Isle State Park, and two sub-watersheds, which all feed into Presque Isle Bay. At its eastern extreme, the bay has a small channel that drains into Lake Erie. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated this watershed a Great Lakes Area of Concern (AoC) . The land is 80% urbanized, with storm water often diverted, causing degradation of fish habitat and other problems. An assessment of fishes published in Northeastern Naturalist magazine in 2004 found that at least half of the stream fish assemblages tested were impaired by urbanization. The city focused its attention on this watershed as part of its effort to convert Erie from heavy industry to light industry and tourism.
  Cascade Creek Sub-watershed consists of Cascade Creek and surrounding lands in the City of Erie. The creek passes through Frontier Park on the northwestern side of the city. Cascade Street forms the eastern border of the sub-watershed. Nearby Gridley Park, in an adjacent direct runoff zone to the east, was named Cascade Park when the city was laid out in the late 18th century.
  Garrison Run Sub-watershed consists of Garrison Run and surrounding lands in the City of Erie. The sub-watershed begins just across the border in Millcreek Township. At the city, the sub-watershed is situated east of the Mercyhurst College campus eastward to Davison Road, with Mill Creek Sub-watershed to the west and 26.9 Mile Run Sub-watershed to the east. At US 20 the sub-watershed narrows to the area between Ash Street and Parade Street, with Mill Creek Sub-watershed to the west and a direct runoff zone to the east. The sub-watershed is mostly land-locked at the north, with a single outlet cutting through the base of Presque Isle Peninsula's eastern stub and feeding into the bay. A spring in the sub-watershed was unearthed and diverted during construction in 2007 of the Pennsylvania Soldiers' and Sailors' Home dementia and Alzheimer's unit at East 3rd Street between Ash Street and Reed Street.
  Mill Creek Sub-watershed consists of Mill Creek and surrounding lands in the City of Erie, Millcreek Township, Summit Township, and Greene Township. The creek passes through Glenwood Park, then enters a tube to pass under the city. When the creek passed along the surface through the city, it regularly caused seasonal flooding in Erie. In 1915, after a heavy storm, debris became wedged in a culvert, blocking a large amount of water upstream which, when released, caused a significant, destructive flood of downtown Erie. Residents called for flood controls, resulting in the construction of the Mill Creek Tube.
caption: Mill Creek south of tube in City of Erie
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