Highland Creek (Toronto)

Geobox River
name = Highland Creek
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country = Canada
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state = Ontario
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city = Toronto
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length = 29.1
watershed =
discharge_location = Lake Ontario (East Point Park and Port Union Village Common Park)
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source_region = Toronto
source_state = Ontario
source_country = Canada
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mouth_district = Toronto
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mouth_state = Ontario
mouth_country = Canada
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tributary_left = West Highland Creek
tributary_left1 = Bellamy Ravine Creek
tributary_right = South Highland Creek
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Highland Creek is a river in Scarborough, part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada that empties into Lake Ontario at the eastern end of the Scarborough Bluffs. It is home to several species of fish including trout, carp, and bass. It is a meandering river which, like most rivers in Toronto (including the Don River and Humber River), travels through a glacial ravine formed after the last Ice Age. It and its tributaries are almost entirely within the old City of Scarborough, and it provides the watershed for most of the central part of the city.

Hydrology

Highland Creek consists of four branches, treated here in order from west to east. The names used for the branches indicate only geographic position, and should not be taken as proper names.

The north-west branch begins at the exit of a culvert at Finch Avenue East at coord|43|48|11|N|79|17|17|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|​display=inline. It flows south, then south-east and passes under the intersection of Midland Avenue and Huntingwood Drive. The branch continues east under Brimley Road, then parallels the road south until just north of the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks. The branch then heads under the tracks east and under McCowan Road, before joining the west branch at coord|43|47|30.5|N|79|15|33|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|​display=inline. The entire length of the branch has been artificially channelled and straightened, and much of it lined with a concrete bed, in the 1970s after a scare about mosquitoes carrying encephalitis breeding in stagnant creek water ("see also "Threats from Development" below"). The total length is approximately convert|3.4|km|mi|1|abbr=on.

The west branch begins at the exit of a culvert just southeast of Brimley Road and McNicoll Road at coord|43|48|54|N|79|16|51|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|​display=inline. This is the most northerly point of any part of the Highland Creek system including all tributaries. It flows south-east under Finch Avenue East, McCowan Road and Middlefield Road. The branch travels convert|250|m|ft|0|abbr=on southwest, then south to its confluence with the north-west branch. It continues southeast under Sheppard Avenue East, then south under Highway 401, and then a further convert|150|m|ft|0|abbr=on south. The entire length up to this point has been artificially channeled, straightened and lined with a concrete bed. The next convert|1.6|km|mi|1|abbr=on stretch, however, a crescent shape that proceeds east to a point just west of Markham Road and which had been previously altered, has now been restored to a more natural state with gentle meanders and shallow pools. From Markham Road, the branch flows east in a natural course and ravine until it meets the central branch at coord|43|47|08|N|79|13|23|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|​display=inline. The total length is approximately convert|7.7|km|mi|1|abbr=on.

The central branch begins at the exit of a culvert north-west of Middlefield Road and Finch Avenue East at coord|43|48|49|N|79|15|40|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|​display=inline. The branch flows south east, then east under Middlefield to coord|43|48|49.5|N|79|14|55.5|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|​display=inline where a short convert|900|m|ft|0|abbr=on tributary branch running south joins it. The then south-east under the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks, Finch Avenue and Markham Road, then south-east under Highway 401. From this point on, it flows in a natural bed and ravine. It then travels convert|500|m|ft|0|abbr=on to the confluence with the west branch. The branch then travels south-east under Military Trail, the first crossing point north of Lake Ontario built in the early settlement period, and Ellesmere Road. South of Ellesmere, the branch enters Morningside Park, where the tributary West Highland Creek joins at coord|43|46|27|N|79|11|57|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|​display=inline. It travels east through the park, under Morningside Avenue and past some of the outdoor sports facilities and the Dean's Residence of the University of Toronto Scarborough. It continues south-east under Old Kingston Road, Kingston Road and Lawrence Avenue East and through Colonel Danforth Park to meet with the east branch, before flowing into Lake Ontario at coord|43|45|59|N|79|08|43|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|​display=inline. The total length is approximately convert|13.5|km|mi|1|abbr=on.

The east branch rises immediately south of Highway 401, west of Meadowvale Road at coord|43|47|56|N|79|10|22|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|​display=inline. It travels south south-east to Ellesmere Road, before entering a culvert. The branch then emerges east of Meadowvale Road south of Ellesmere, before heading south-west under Kingston Road and Highway 2A. After a further convert|800|m|ft|0|abbr=on, it turns south and is joined by a small stream just before Lawrence Avenue East. It passes under the road and continues south until it joins the central branch just north of Lake Ontario. The total length is approximately convert|4.5|km|mi|1|abbr=on. Unlike the other parts of the creek system, this branch does not flow through any deep ravines.

Tributaries

*West Highland Creek
**Bellamy Ravine Creek
**Southwest Highland Creek

Threats from Development

Due to development in Scarborough, which has substantially increased the amount of water that historically travelled through the river, there are a number of artificial diversions to decrease erosion and guide the river past obstacles. For example, there are a large number of areas where the river is lined with rock cages. There are small dams to even out the flow in areas where upstream storage reservoirs are possible, increasing its depth. The river travels through culverts under some major streets. In addition, many of the city's storm sewers exit into the river. Highland Creek forms a large number of interconnected parks which have a system of paved bike and walking paths. As a result of these numerous channel modification projects, mostly implemented in the 1960s and 1970s, much of the creek does not follows its natural path. This is in contrast to the Rouge River, which has fewer in-stream barriers and extensive riparian and floodplain vegetation, and where a wider variety of wildlife, including some climax forest species, can be found.

Highland Creek historically formed a natural barrier to transportation in the eastern part of Scarborough, with the single exception of Military Trail, blocking the eastern sections of Lawrence Avenue East (at two locations), Morningside Avenue, and Kingston Road until the construction of longer-span bridges in the 1940s (Kingston Road) through the early 1970s (Lawrence Avenue East). Although the creek itself is rarely more than convert|20|m|ft|0|abbr=on wide, the ravine it runs through commonly is over convert|100|m|ft|0|abbr=on wide and convert|30|m|ft|0|abbr=on deep. During the early part of the 20th century, it also blocked the progression of the Toronto and Scarborough Street Railway, which was unable to negotiate the grade into the creek where it met Kingston Road.

Community along the creek

Highland Creek is also the name of a neighbourhood on the east side of the creek at Old Kingston Road.

References

*cite web |title=Topographic Map sheet 30M14|publisher=Natural Resources Canada|date=2006-02-06 |work=Atlas of Canada |url=http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/topo/map/ |accessdate=2007-12-11