Historical Context

The Onondaga Creekwalk is a trail extending from the Franklin Square District to the north of the Syracuse Inner Harbor.

HISTORY OF THE CREEK WALK
(via designer Ava Weiskopf)

LATE 1700s
Before European settlement, Onondaga Lake was characterized by high clarity and low nutrient inputs. The lake initially support4ed a commercially viable cold water fishery which was sustained by the harvesting of Onondaga Lake Whitefish and Atlantic Salmon.

LATE 1800s
In the late 1800s a number of resorts were built along its shoreline. As the industrial revolution took hold, and the city's population expanded, the lake was used increasingly for the disposal of domestic and industrial waste.

1890
The cold water fishery was completely lost.

1901
Ice harvesting was banned.

1940
Swimming was banned.

1964
A new wave of state and federal dollars had sparked big dreams in the city, "a system of intertwined communities, and he believed the parks should be a vehicle for economic growth and social change," one suggestion was for a trail along Onondaga Creek.

1970
Fishing was banned due to mercury contamination.

1973
The Clean Water Act: Several actions have been taken to abate domestic waste inputs to the lake. Despite the reductions in pollutant loadings, Onondaga Lake is arguably the most polluted lake in the US.

1989
The first stretch of the Creek Walk is completed near Franklin Square.

LATE 1990s
The second stretch of the Creek Walk runs along the canal in the inner harbor to Bear Street.

EARLY 2000s
Construction began to connect Armory Square to Onondaga Lake and fill in the missing pieces.