Swartz Creek

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This article is about the waterway. For other uses, including the city, see Swartz Creek (disambiguation).

The Swartz Creek is creek located in the Mid-Michigan area. It is a tributary of the Flint River and has two branches, the East and West branch. Its name came from the German word "Schwartz", meaning black or muddy, as the Creek water was muddy.

The East branch begins at number of lakes at Holly State Recreation Area then flows through a few small lakes east of Lake Fenton then to Copneconic Lake then along Fenton Road to just North of Cook Road then parallel to Cook Road then North parallel to Brewer Road then heading along the West Side of Bishop International Airport to join up with the West Branch North of of I-69 near the Bristol Road on ramps. The West Branch ends west of the City of Swartz Creek past Nichols Roads and previous "head waters" was a swamp called "Gaines' Dead Marsh", or "Dead Man's Swamp" which was drained by Henry Howland Crapo for farm land. This swamp was the source of the muddy water that gave the Creek its name.[1]

Swartz Creek Tributaries

  • East Branch
  • Indian Creek -- joins up at Cook Road East of US-23
  • Dawe Creek -- join up with Indian Creek South of Cook Road East of Torrey Road
  • Seaver Drain-- joins up at Cook Road West of Fenton Road
  • West Branch
  • Hewitt Drain -- joins up east of the Bristol Road on ramps
  • Howland Drain -- meets Hewitt Drain just North of Maple Road between Linden Road and Jennings Road
  • Kimball Drain -- meets up just North of the Railroad along the City of Swartz Creek's Southern border.
  • Lum Drain -- meets up with Kimball Drain Northeast of Morrish and Reid Roads [2]



  1. ^ Hayes, Yutha (1976). Going up the Swartz. Swartz Creek: Bicentennial Commission of Swartz Creek. 
  2. ^ (1995) Michigan Atlas & Gazetteer. Freeport, Maine: DeLorme, 40, 41,.