Black Creek (Susquehanna River tributary)
Black Creek | |
---|---|
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | valley in Conyngham Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania |
• elevation | between 840 and 860 feet (260 and 260 m) |
Mouth | |
• location | Susquehanna River in Mocanaqua, in Conyngham Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania |
• coordinates | 41°08′42″N 76°08′43″W / 41.1450°N 76.1453°W |
• elevation | 482 ft (147 m) |
Length | 2.6 mi (4.2 km) |
Basin size | 3.85 sq mi (10.0 km2) |
Discharge | |
• average | ephemeral |
Basin features | |
Progression | Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay |
Black Creek is a
Black Creek is situated within the Coal Region of Pennsylvania. Rock formations in the watershed include the Mauch Chunk Formation, the Pottsville Formation, and the Llwellyn Formation. Coal beds in the watershed include the Lower Red Ash bed, the Upper Red Ash bed, the Lower Ross bed, the Upper Ross bed, and the Baltimore Bed. Ridges of mine waste also occur in the creek's drainage basin. Mining was done in the watershed as early as the winter of 1836-1837, but it stopped in 1955. The creek and the surrounding areas were the subject of a joint study by several federal and state organizations in the 1960s.
Course
Black Creek begins in a valley in Conyngham Township. It flows west-northwest for nearly a mile, passing through a large pond or small lake, before turning north for several hundred feet. The creek then turns west for a short distance and enters a broader and much shallower valley before receiving an unnamed tributary from the right. It then turns southwest for more than a mile before turning south-southwest and flowing through a deep and narrow valley to the northern border of Mocanaqua. The creek then turns west for a few tenths of a mile, following the border of Mocanaqua to its confluence with the Susquehanna River.[1]
Black Creek joins the Susquehanna River 171.90 miles (276.65 km) upstream of its mouth.[2]
Tributaries
Black Creek has no officially named tributaries.[1] However, an 1887 book stated that the creek had two tributaries. One was unnamed and flowed from a point 0.5 miles (0.80 km) west of the DuPont Drift to the creek at the Golden Drift. The other was referred to as Turkey Pond Creek and was sometimes nearly dry, but could have a substantial flow during spring rains.[3]
Hydrology and climate
Black Creek is an
Sodium and potassium occur in water in the Black Creek watershed, with sodium being considerably more common than potassium. Potassium concentrations are around 20 milligrams per liter, while sodium concentrations are less than 10 milligrams per liter.[8] Lithium and rubidium also have been observed in the watershed, with concentrations of 0.02 to 0.2 and 0.04 milligrams per liter, respectively.[5]
Barium occurs in the water of the Black Creek watershed, typically at concentrations of less than 0.07 milligrams per liter.[5] Beryllium is about as common, with a concentration of less than 0.06 milligrams per liter.[9] Strontium is much more common, with a concentration of up to 4.4 milligrams per liter.[5]
The concentration of titanium in the waters of the Black Creek watershed is less than 0.17 milligrams per liter and the concentration of zirconium is less than 0.055 milligrams per liter. Small amounts (less than 0.01 milligrams per liter) of vanadium, chromium, and molybdenum also occur in the water.[9] The cobalt concentration in mine waters in the watershed ranges from 0.07 to 0.93 milligrams per liter and the nickel concentration ranges from 0.09 to 1.2 milligrams per liter.[10] Copper, silver, tin, and lead also occur in the watershed.[11]
The concentration of chloride ions in the watershed of Black Creek ranges from 0 to 14 milligrams per liter.[12]
A 1971 report described the climate in the watershed of Black Creek as "mild". Temperatures above 100 °F (38 °C) are rare in the area, but temperatures below 32 °F (0 °C) are common. At the
Geography
The elevation near the
The watershed of Black Creek is situated at the southwestern end of the
There are a number of pits in the area of Black Creek, some of which are up to 100 feet (30 m) deep. Some are former entrances to mines, while others are strip mining pits.[21] There is standing water in the underground mine workings in the creek's vicinity.[22] It drains a coal sheet known as Mine Sheet No. 1. The creek once flowed over a ledge of conglomerate of the Pottsville Formation 2,000 feet (610 m) upstream of its mouth. An 1887 book described this as "producing an effect especially interesting in the study of creek erosion".[3]
Black Creek accumulates drift to some degree as it flows along its course. However, due to the high speed of its waters, it does not deposit significant amounts of drift along its course.[3]
Geology
The
Most of the surficial geology in the watershed of Black Creek consists of bedrock. However,
There are five beds of coal that have been mined in the watershed of Black Creek: the Lower Red Ash bed, the Upper Red Ash bed, the Lower Ross bed, the Upper Ross bed, and the Baltimore Bed. The Lower Red Ash coal bed has a thickness of up to 14 feet (4.3 m) at the West End Mine in the watershed and the Upper Red Ash coal is up to 12 feet (3.7 m) thick.[26]
The bedrock is exposed on the ridges in the Black Creek watershed. The exposure is due to
Watershed
The watershed of Black Creek has an area of 3.85 square miles (10.0 km2).[2] The mouth of the creek is in the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Shickshinny. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Nanticoke.[14]
The
As of the 1960s or early 1970s, the only human inhabitants of the watershed of Black Creek reside either in the village of Mocanaqua in the southwestern part of the watershed or the small community of Lee. The watershed can be accessed from
Historically, there was a swamp at the headwaters of Black Creek.[3] As late as the 1910s, the waters of the creek were described as coming from mountain springs and a swamp.[30]
History
Black Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1169696.[14]
In the early 1900s, mine water and
Between 1965 and 1967, the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, the United States Bureau of Mines, the United States Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, the United States Geological Survey, and the Pennsylvania Department of Mines and Mineral Industries conducted a joint study on the watershed of Black Creek. The purpose of the study was to deal with water pollution due to acid mine drainage.[32] Geological field work was carried out in the area between October 1965 and December 1965. Core and rock cuttings were done between October 1966 and June 1967.[33] However, this study was ended before all of the necessary scientific investigations were completed.[32]
Biology
The entire drainage basin of Black Creek is designated as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery.[34]
See also
- Turtle Creek (Susquehanna River), next tributary of the Susquehanna River going downriver
- Paddy Run, next tributary of the Susquehanna River going upriver
- List of rivers of Pennsylvania
References
- ^ a b c d United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, archived from the original on March 29, 2012, retrieved January 26, 2015
- ^ a b Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, p. 36, retrieved January 26, 2015
- ^ a b c d Pennsylvania Geological Survey (1887), Annual Report of the Geological Survey of Pennsylvania, Part 3, pp. 929–930
- ^ a b Newport, 52
- ^ a b c d Newport, 113
- ^ Newport, 76
- ^ Newport 100-104
- ^ Newport, 106
- ^ a b Newport, 114
- ^ Newport, 115
- ^ Newport, 117
- ^ Newport, 110
- ^ Newport, 51
- ^ a b c Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Black Creek, retrieved January 26, 2015[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Newport, 17
- ^ a b Newport, 12
- ^ Newport, 13, 37
- ^ Newport, 29
- ^ Newport, 38
- ^ Newport, 63
- ^ Newport, 44
- ^ Newport, 56
- ^ Newport, 32
- ^ Newport, 41
- ^ a b Newport, 43
- ^ Newport, 34-35
- ^ Newport, 30
- ^ Newport, 40
- ^ Newport, 18
- ^ a b Pennsylvania Water Supply Commission (1916), Water Resources Inventory Report, p. 39–40
- ^ a b c Newport, 22
- ^ a b Newport, 15
- ^ Newport, 23
- ^ § 93.9k. Drainage List K. Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania Code, retrieved January 29, 2015
Works cited
- Newport, Thomas G. (1971). Geology, Hydrology, and Geochemistry of the Black Creek Watershed Near Mocanaqua, PA.