Sandy Creek is an creek located entirely within Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The creek rises in London Township in the north-central portion of the county and flows southeast into Lake Erie in Frenchtown Charter Township at Sterling State Park. Along the banks of Sandy Creek was one of the earliest French settlements in the area, known as the Sandy Creek Settlement, which existed from approximately 1780–1813 before being abandoned after the Battle of Frenchtown during the War of 1812. Geography 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 Frenchtown Charter Township, Raisinville Township, Exeter Township (including the village of Maybee), London Township, Dundee Township, and the city of Monroe. 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, flows parallel to the main branch about one mile to the south. Sandy Creek travels under Interstate 75, U.S. Route 24 (North Telegraph Road), and North Monroe Street (M-125). 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