- Stream
- Water
- 19th century to present
- City of Atlanta
- Location approximate
Proctor Creek
A Chattahoochee tributary about 9 miles long that starts in the Gulch downtown, where its headwaters run underground in pipes. It flows northwest through English Avenue and the west side and reaches the river near I-285.
The record
The length comes from Wikipedia and a Proctor Creek community site, and USGS hydrography lines named Proctor Creek total about 8.7 miles. Wikipedia says the creek is named for John Proctor, owner of a local mill, but this research found no other source for the name. Atlanta laid sewers along creek beds, and WABE (2017) reports that 'in places, Proctor Creek basically became the sewer'; a 2002 storm flooded Vine City homes with raw sewage. In May 2013 the EPA named Proctor Creek one of 11 new locations of the federal Urban Waters partnership, which then numbered 18. The largest flow in the USGS peak record at Jackson Parkway is an estimated 8,000 cfs on May 16, 2003.
Today: Open creek west of downtown; headwaters piped.
Where on the map: Headwaters piped under the Gulch, Vine City and English Avenue; open channel runs northwest to the river near I-285 and Bolton.