Quote from Abbey111 on 07/03/14 at 9:37am:

 
We have the same thing going through our backyard.  It was actually one of the reasons that we bought the house.  A nice, bubbling creek with pristine, clear water that flowed constantly.  The previous owner had built three bridges in the backyard to cross over the creek (it splits our yard about 25/75). Towards the end of our property this water had formed a pond about 3-4 feet deep.  Cattails grew here and we'd seen at least one spapping turtle since we'd been there.  A real nature wonderland.  Even in 2007, during the drought, the creek never stopped.
 
According to my brother-in-law, who grew up in Bluff Park and who had a friend who lived in our house when he was a teen, that creek was there almost 30 years ago.
 
My thoughts of the creek's origin was that it was from a natural spring (I'm not a geologist, however, it sounded like it would make sense).  I never did walk up the property and into the neighbor's property to see where it originated.
 
Then about 3 years ago the creek suddenly dried up.  The water just stopped.  I found this to be odd, almost disturbing, so I took a walk up the creek, through the neighbors' yards, onto another street, right where the "creek" originated.  I found two Birmingham Water Board barricades and what appeared to be fresh asphalt.
 
The "creek" was actually a storm drain.  The "pristine water" was actually water from a water main that had broken many years ago and Birmingham Water had just discovered it and sealed it.
 
If you've never had cattails in your backyard, they are OK when there's water, but not so much when there's no water.  They dry up and begin to smell.  Birmingham Water Board was nice enough to come out and clear the "creek" and "pond" of all decaying water flora.  
 
So, to summarize, Abbey, I don't know if your creek is a real creek or a broken water main that has gone unnoticed for nearly 30 years.  If it is a broken water main, just be happy they don't send you a bill with it.
 

Wow! THANK YOU for the information. I have noticed it dries up more quickly these days. When it does rain, though, it reminds me of the Ocoee River it's so fast flowing. I have noticed that some people have a natural area like us, but other people on the same street with the same "creek" have what looks like a manmade channel in their yard. It puzzles me that there would even be tunnels for the water to flow under Clearview if it was just a mistake (broken watermain). Maybe they build storm runoff channels under watermains for that reason. Ha.
 
Well, thank you, again, for the satisfying my curiosity.  
 
Abbey