Cattaraugus Creek is a stream, approximately 68 miles (109 km) long, in western New York in the United States.

[2][3][4] William Beauchamp identifies the name Cattaraugus as deriving from the Seneca word Gah-ta-ra-ke-ras, meaning "stinking shore" or "foul-smelling river bank.

[2] Each year around October to November, thousands of anglers descend on the lower course of Cattaraugus Creek to take advantage of the annual steelhead trout runs.

If approved, the dam's lowering and the installation of a fish ladder would allow steelhead to move into an additional 44 miles (71 km) of Cattaraugus Creek and its tributaries.

[12] Critics of the project have raised concerns about impacts on resident brown and rainbow trout populations above the dam, and the possibility of introducing invasive species such as the sea lamprey into stretches of the creek currently free of such organisms.

[15][16][17] The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation describes Cattaraugus Creek as "one of the healthiest watersheds in the area."

Potential threats to the creek's ecosystem include deforestation of the surrounding area, overdevelopment of the Zoar Valley, and invasive species.

[19][20] This, together with more stringent federal regulations and greater economic competition for nuclear waste disposal led NFS to shut the plant down,[19][20] leaving New York State with the property.