Watershed
The Oatka's basin is relatively narrow and does not extend far from the Oatka Valley or the towns through which the creek itself flows. Almost all of the towns of Warsaw, Pavilion and Le Roy are within the watershed, along with large portions of Covington, Gainesville, Middlebury and Wheatland. Most of the eastern half of Stafford is in the Oatka basin even though only a small portion of the creek flows through it.
In Livingston County Caledonia is the only town with land in the watershed, consisting mostly of its northeastern corner and most of the village of Caledonia. Other towns with no portions of the creek itself having large sections within its basin are Perry, Orangeville, and Bethany. Small portions of Castile, Wethersfield, Byron and Bergen also drain into the Oatka.
There are five villages wholly or partially within the watershed. The former are Warsaw, Wyoming and Le Roy. Closer to its mouth are Scottsville and Caledonia. These are the only concentrated areas of development and population within it. The majority (73%) of the watershed is active or inactive agricultural land. Forests cover another 21%. Most of the remainder is residential or commercial land, with industrial use accounting for just 1%.
The watershed's highest point of 1,990 feet (610 m) is located in southeastern Orangeville; its lowest point, 525 feet (160 m), is the Oatka's mouth. Including the Oatka itself, there are 425 miles (684 km) of stream in the watershed.
There are few significant lakes or ponds within the watershed. The largest is Lake Le Roy, near the headwaters of Mud Creek in Pavilion. It is a 59-acre (24 ha) reservoir that serves as the main water supply for the village of Le Roy. The only protected area in the Oatka watershed besides Oatka Creek Park is the 2,580-acre (1,040 ha) Carlton Hill Wildlife Management Area in Middlebury, north of Warsaw.
Read more about this topic: Oatka Creek