Crooked Creek, a tributary of Lake Erie, is a very inconspicuous stream. It drains portions of four different townships, an area approximately 20.3 miles square, with only about a

9.5 mile length of crooked stream beds.In 1997 a water study revealed eight different species of fish. In 2001, a pre-season stocking of 800 trout and an in-season stocking of 600 brown trout, left fishermen with tremendous outdoor recreational opportunities. One of the contributing factors to the quality of fishing is the many beaver dams located near the headwater feeder streams. These beaver dams slow the rain water as it speeds to Lake Erie. This process allows water to settle and filter out sediment from stormwater run off, improving the quality of water. In conclusion, the beaver dams play an important role in the quality of water in Crooked Creek, a tributary of Lake Erie.