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Virgil Creek

Coordinates: 42°30′16″N 76°21′33″W / 42.50444°N 76.35917°W / 42.50444; -76.35917
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Virgil Creek
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
Physical characteristics
MouthFall Creek
 • location
Freeville, New York, United States
 • coordinates
42°30′16″N 76°21′33″W / 42.50444°N 76.35917°W / 42.50444; -76.35917
Basin size
40.6–40.9 mi2 (105–106 km2)

Virgil Creek is a river located in Tompkins and Cortland Counties, New York. It originates near Virgil, New York, and flows into Fall Creek by Freeville, New York. The creek has several tributaries and drains the man-made Dryden Lake. Throughout the 20th century, periodic flooding caused substantial damage to the town of Dryden and the surrounding land, which led to the construction of a dry dam to regulate the creek's flow, which was completed in 1998.

Watershed

Its watershed is approximately 40.6–40.9 square miles (105–106 km2) of land across Tompkins and Cortland Counties. The creek originates near Virgil, New York, and flows roughly westward, turning north before reaching Fall Creek.[1][2][3] Major tributaries to the creek include Hollenbeck Hollow Creek, Egypt Creek, and outflow from the man-made Dryden Lake.[2][4]

In the 1990s, the creek's watershed was largely forested or used for agricultural purposes.[2]

History

In the 19th century, several mills were built along Virgil Creek, including in Freeville and in Dryden.[5][6]

Flooding

There was little regulation of Virgil Creek's flow until the late 20th century, and it periodically flooded, causing damage to Dryden and the surrounding areas. There were significant floods in 1935, 1964, 1969, 1972, and 1975.[2] A 1981 flood caused $3 million in damage, spurring discussions between local towns, Tompkins County, and the state about projects that would alleviate the issue. After years of planning, a dry dam was built.[7][8][9] It was completed in the summer of 1998, and has successfully lowered the number of times that the creek floods.[10][11]

Discharge

Virgil Creek's discharge has periodically been measured. In June 1963 the flow rate at its mouth was measured at 23.8 cubic feet (0.67 m3) per second.[3] In November 2023, it was measured to be 21.1 cubic feet (0.60 m3) per second.[12] From 1973 to 1976, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) maintained a gauge on the creek by Freeville, including water from 40.3 square miles (104 km2) of its watershed. In 1975, the mean annual flow rate was 55.409 cubic feet (1.5690 m3) per second, peaking in April and reaching its lowest point in July.[13]

From October 2002 to September 2004, the USGS operated a gauge in Dryden, which included 29.7 square miles (77 km2) of the creek's watershed. In 2003, this section of the creek's mean annual flow rate was 68.974 cubic feet (1.9531 m3) per second; the mean flow rate by month peaked at 154.226 cubic feet (4.3672 m3) per second in March, and was at its lowest in December, at a rate of 22.518 cubic feet (0.6376 m3) per second.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Miller, Todd S.; Bugliosi, Edward F. (2013). "USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2013–5070: Geohydrology, Water Quality, and Simulation of Groundwater Flow in the Stratified-Drift Aquifer System in Virgil Creek and Dryden Lake Valleys, Town of Dryden, Tompkins County, New York". United States Geological Survey. p. 5. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Virgil Creek watershed plan, Cortland County / Tompkins County: environmental impact statement. US Soil Conservation Service. 1993. pp. 7–11.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Report of investigation". State of New York, Conservation Department, Water Resources Commission.: 415. 1968–70. ISSN 0548-863X.
  4. ↑ Gutchess, Elsie (2004). "Town of Dryden". Place Names of Tompkins County (PDF). Office of the Tompkins County Historian. p. 34. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  5. ↑ Goodrich, George E. (1898). The Centennial History of the Town of Dryden: 1797-1897. J.G. Ford, printer.
  6. ↑ Genung, A. B. (1942). "Historical Sketch of the Village of Freeville, Tompkins County, New York". Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  7. ↑ Hart, Glynis (2011-09-28). "Virgil Creek Dry Dam Keeps Floodwaters Down". Ithaca Times. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  8. ↑ Stedinger, Carolyn (1998-01-08). "Virgil Creek dam project half complete". The Ithaca Journal. p. 3. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  9. ↑ "Structural safety: Tompkins' dams, bridges". The Ithaca Journal. 1999-05-01. pp. 1A, 5A. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  10. ↑ White, Debra (1999-01-26). "Thaw raises lake level, but so far, no big problems". The Ithaca Journal. p. 2. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  11. ↑ Golden, Vaughn (2017-07-26). "Dryden cleans up flood mess". Ithaca Times. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  12. ↑ "Virgil Creek at Mouth at Freeville NY". USGS. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  13. ↑ "Statistics for Virgil Creek at Freeville NY". USGS. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  14. ↑ "Statistics for Virgil Creek at SH 13 at Dryden NY". USGS. Retrieved 2026-05-18.

Further reading

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