Burt Dam

Location: Just south of Olcott; in the hamlet of Burt; town of Newfane; Niagara County; New York.

Maps: Google Map; Topographic; Interactive.

GPS Coordinates:

• Fishermen’s Park Entrance: (N 43.31718 / W 78.71366)
• Burt Dam: (N 43.31375 / W 78.71582)

Directions: From NY-104 in Wrights Corners, head north on NY-78 through the village of Newfane. Look for the Fishermen’s Park entrance on your left just past the Burt Hotel.

Alternately, take NY-18 into Olcott and then head south on NY-78 for 1.5 miles. Turn right into the Fishermen’s Park entrance.

Use Google Maps.

Parking: There’s plenty of parking here, but it does tend to get busy in fishing season.

Number of falls: 1

Size/Types: A 49-ft tall manmade hydroelectric dam, with a sloping spillway creating milky whitewater when it’s flowing.

Best time to visit: Spring or fall, ideally when water flow in the region is good (there has been lots of rain recently). In late September, early October the place will be packed with fishermen.

Flow: Moderate; though it does tend to dry in summer. If going in fall, make sure to go following a bout or two of rain.

Waterway: Eighteenmile Creek. 9.5 miles south of the dam it’s formed by the east and west branches. The east branch starts several miles east of Lockport. The west branch starts just west of Lockport. Burt dam creates a 95-acre reservoir behind it.  Once over the dam, the water meanders north through the village of Olcott and empties into Lake Ontario.

Time: 30 minutes to an hour. More time if you plan on fishing.

Seasons/Hours: Open daylight hours daily. The entrance will be manned during fishing season, often unmanned in the off-season.

Admission: Free to just visit. $3 per person to fish all day. Free for children under 16.

Handicap accessibility: The trail to the dam is not very accessible. It is a dirt and gravel trail with several moderate inclines. Definitely not wheelchair friendly. Those with mobility limitations will have difficulty.

Pets: Not allowed. You should not bring your dog to this park.

Swimming: Not allowed. If fishing, you can wade in the creek below the falls.

Accommodations: Trail; fishing; park staff; picnic tables, patrolling staff in the fishing seasons. Port-a-potties will be in the parking area during spring and fall fishing seasons.

Originally named Newfane Station, the hamlet was renamed Burt in honor of Burt Van Horn (October 28, 1823 – April 1, 1896), a U.S. Congressman, New York Assemblyman, and Newfane native. His father, James Van Horn, moved to Newfane Station and built the first gristmill along the creek here in 1817. The mill was destroyed by fire in the 1830s, but he rebuilt it. The new mill complex became known as the “Lake Shore Mills.”

The Van Horn family owned the land east of the creek, stretching from NY-78 on the east to Van Horn Street to the north, and extending south to Drake Settlement Road. The Van Horn Mansion on NY-78, adjacent to the chemical plant, now serves as a museum. Before embarking on his political career, Burt was a farmer who ran a textile mill (constructed in 1863) in Newfane Station after leaving Congress. The mills, foundational to the hamlet’s industry, became known as the Van Horn Mills, utilizing the creek’s power for manufacturing.

The remains of an old power station sit below the dam on the east side of the creek. Interestingly, the first facility on this site was not a traditional hydroelectric dam but a coal-powered plant that generated electricity from steam. The dam’s construction began in 1924, when the Lockport and Newfane Power and Water Supply Company contracted the McCarthy Brothers and Ford of Buffalo for the construction. Completed in 1925, it featured a modern powerhouse on the east flank, the same one visible next to the dam today. In the 1970s, the powerhouse was abandoned as the town began purchasing power from Niagara hydro sources. It was refurbished in 1986 and returned to operation for private, non-utility power generation in 1987, with a total output of 0.6 MW.

The old railroad bridge spanning Eighteenmile Creek here is an orphaned bridge (it’s no longer connected to a line). It was a part of the Lake Ontario Shore Raiload (LOSRR), for which the records aren’t detailed enough to pinpoint a date of construction. it was likely built after 1974. Financial difficulty forced the line to combine with the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad in February of 1875. It was eventually merged into the New York Central Rail Road in 1891. Often known as the Hojack line, it continued to operate in sections from Niagara County to Oswego County, with it being completely abandoned and mostly disassembled by the 1990s.

Difficulty: Easy, but some gradients and some potential for mud and debris on the trail. Overall the place is very well maintained, but one does have to make descent into the 70ft gorge.

Markings: The dirt and gravel trail is very well-defined and has signs along the way.

Distance: 1/3 of a mile, one-way.

Trail Guide:

1. From the parking area head to the back of the lot, opposite the entrance, to find the wide sloping path that leads down to the creek.
2. Once at the creek, head left (south) and follow the path along the creek. Pass under the railroad bridge.
3. Pass under the old railroad bridge.
4. At about 1,200 ft down this path, you’ll be at the dam and old powerhouse ruins. Stay on this side of the creek.

Map: Interactive.

Fishermen

• If you come during the spring or fall runs, there will be fishermen, lots of them. Including them in your shots make for great photographs that communicate scale, sportsmanship, and community.
• That being said, try not to get in the way.
• It’s always a good idea to ask permission before you take someone’s photograph.

The railway bridge

• The railway bridge area makes for great photos, especially when contrasted against fall color.

Eighteenmile Creek

• Don’t just photograph the falls. The creek has several interesting riffles, protruding rocks, and visiting waterfowl throughout the year.

Silky Water Effect

• To get that smooth cotton-candy look to the falls, you need to use a Neutral Density (ND) filter on your lens. The ND filter will block some of the light from entering the lens without altering the color, and thus allow your shutter to stay open longer. This blurs the water and creates a soft white gloss to the foamy areas of the falls.  Check out this article for the all the details.

More tips

• See the Articles for more photography tips.