A very narrow and shallow creek, Sandy Creek contains no dams and is not navigable. However, the creek's watershed serves an important purpose of flood prevention in the area, which has a relatively flat topography and heavy agricultural use. In 2019, most of the creek underwent a $1.2 million clearcutting project along its banks to increase the creek's drainage to alleviate flooding along its route. Sandy Creek's watershed includes portions of FrenchtownCharter Township, Raisinville Township, Exeter Township, London Township, Dundee Township, and the city ofMonroe. The creek flows for from London Township to Lake Erie in Frenchtown Charter Township. Sterling State Park is to the south of the river mouth, while the unincorporated community of Detroit Beach is to the north. Stone embankments and a pump station were built along the banks of Detroit Beach to alleviate flooding from Sandy Creek and potentially rising waters from Lake Erie. Its only sizable tributary, Little Sandy Creek, rises just about a mile south of the main branch and flows independently for a short distance. Sandy Creek travels under Interstate 75, U.S. Route 24, and North Monroe Street. The creek contains no large fish populations, and most fish can be found in the artificially enlarged lagoons of Sterling State Park leading to Lake Erie. Common fish in this area include perch, walleye, crappie, channel and bullhead catfish, largemouth and white bass, carp, northern pike and bluegill.
Sandy Creek Settlement
Along the banks of Sandy Creek near Lake Erie was one of the earliest European settlements in the area, known as the Sandy Creek Settlement. The small settlement was founded as early as 1780 by the French shortly before the much larger Frenchtown settlement, which was founded in 1784 just south near the River Raisin. At the time, the area was under the administration of the British Province of Quebec and predated American territorial control. In 1787, the area became part of the newly established American Northwest Territory, then briefly into the Indiana Territory in 1800, and finally into the Michigan Territory in 1805. The Sandy Creek Settlement was a small area of land given to the early French settlers by the indigenous Potawatomi tribe, which occupied the area beforehand. The small settlement of Sandy Creek, which grew to only a few dozen inhabitants, was abandoned in 1813 after the American's suffered a catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Frenchtown during the War of 1812. During the battle, the Sandy Creek Settlement was abandoned and never resettled. While parts of Frenchtown later became incorporated into the city of Monroe, there are no remaining traces of the Sandy Creek Settlement. The Sandy Creek Settlement is listed as part of the River Raisin Heritage Corridor as a contributing element of the River Raisin National Battlefield Park. The settlement's history is detailed on a historic marker erected by the Monroe County Historical Commission near the boat launch in Sterling State Park. The historic marker reads:
