Newtown Creek

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Newtown Creek and its tributaries: Maspeth Creek, English Kills, and Dutch Kills

Newtown Creek flows through industrial Long Island City, on a backgound of New York Skyline

Newtown Creek is a tributary of the East River, approximately 3.5 miles in length. It forms part of the boundary between Brooklyn and Queens. Its waterfront, and that of its tributaries (English Kills, Dutch Kills, and Maspeth Creek), is heavily industrialized. It is one of the most polluted waterways in North America, and is the site of the United States' [largest underground oil spill].

Before the urbanization and industrialization of the surrounding neighborhoods, Newtown Creek was a longer and wider waterway, wide enough that it contained islands. It drained a large part of what is now Bushwick. Today it is bounded along most of its length by retaining walls.

Newtown Creek is crossed by the Pulaski Bridge, the J. J. Byrne Memorial Bridge, and the Kosciuszko Bridge. Several smaller bridges take roads over its tributaries.

External links

• [PBS: P.O.V.'s Borders: The Invisible Creek]

• [Forgotten New York -- A boat ride down Newtown Creek -- photos and history]

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