Briar Creek (Susquehanna River tributary)
Briar Creek | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | United States |
County | Columbia County, Pennsylvania |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Knob Mountain in Briar Creek Township |
Mouth | |
• location | Susquehanna River in Briar Creek |
Length | 7.77 mi (12.50 km) |
Basin size | 33.0 sq mi (85 km2) |
Discharge | |
• average | 18.5 cubic feet per second (0.52 m3/s) (median, near the mouth) |
Basin features | |
Tributaries | |
• left | East Branch Briar Creek |
• right | West Branch Briar Creek |
Briar Creek is a tributary of the
Briar Creek has two named tributaries: West Branch Briar Creek and East Branch Briar Creek. The discharge of Briar Creek ranges from 0.06 to 50 cubic feet per second. The water temperature of the creek ranges from 32 °F (0 °C) to 80.96 °F (27.20 °C). The rock in the watershed mostly consists of sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, limestone, and shale.
There are Pennsylvania State Game Lands in the watershed, as well as a lake known as the Briar Creek Reservoir. In the lake, the most common species of fish is yellow perch.
Course
Briar Creek begins where Knob Mountain, Huntington Mountain, and Lee Mountain meet in western Briar Creek Township.[3][4] It flows east for a short distance before turning south through a gap in Lee Mountain, briefly descending quite steeply. The course levels out as it leaves the mountain behind and begins flowing through a valley after a short distance.[4] It flows under Pennsylvania Route 93, leaving the valley behind. Soon afterwards, the stream picks up the tributary West Branch Briar Creek and turns southeast.[1][4] After some distance, it enters the community of Briar Creek and picks up the tributary East Branch Briar Creek. The stream then turns southwest and reaches its confluence with the Susquehanna River near French Island.[4]
Tributaries
Briar Creek has two named tributaries: East Branch Briar Creek and West Branch Briar Creek. East Branch Briar Creek joins Briar Creek 1.02 miles (1.64 km) upstream of its mouth. It watershed has an area of 15.10 square miles (39.1 km2). West Branch Briar Creek joins Briar Creek 2.74 miles (4.41 km) upstream of its mouth. Its watershed has an area of 12.10 square miles (31.3 km2).[5]
Hydrology
The Briar Creek watershed falls into two of Pennsylvania's ten climate divisions: Division 1 (Pocono Mountains) and Division 5 (Central Susquehanna).[2][6]
The discharge of Briar Creek about two miles (three kilometers) downstream of its headwaters ranges from 0.06 to 39.1 cubic feet per second (cfs), with a median of 0.685 cfs. Just upstream of West Branch Briar Creek's confluence with the creek, the discharge ranges from 0.63 to 22.1 cfs, with a median of 4.03 cfs. Near the mouth of the creek, the discharge ranges from 4.14 to 50 cfs. There is a median discharge of 18.5 cfs at this point. On East Branch Briar Creek about two miles from its headwaters, the discharge ranges from 0.4 to 10.425 with a median discharge of 1.385 cfs. Near Briar Creek Reservoir, East Branch Briar Creek's discharge has a minimum of 0.54 cfs, a maximum of 11.5 cfs, and a median of 4.645 cfs. On West Branch Briar Creek, the discharge ranges from 0.67 to 31.1 cfs, with a median of 3.2 cfs.[2]
The water temperature of Briar Creek near its source ranges from 35.96 to 64.94 °F (2.20 to 18.30 °C), with a median of 51.44 °F (10.80 °C). This is the highest minimum temperature of any studied location in the watershed. Near West Branch Briar Creek's confluence with Briar Creek, the latter creek has a temperature range of 32 to 67.46 °F (0.00 to 19.70 °C) and a median of 49.28 °F (9.60 °C). This is the lowest minimum temperature of any studied location in the drainage basin. Near its mouth, the temperature ranges from 32.18 to 80.96 °F (0.10 to 27.20 °C). The median temperature is 57.56 °F (14.20 °C). On West Branch Briar Creek, the temperature is a minimum of 35.6 °F (2.0 °C), a median of 57.38 °F (14.10 °C), and a maximum of 71.6 °F (22.0 °C). Two miles downstream of East Branch Briar Creek's headwaters, the median temperature is 49.73 °F (9.85 °C) and the range is 32.18 to 71.42 °F (0.10 to 21.90 °C). Near Briar Creek Reservoir, the water temperature has a minimum of 32.18 °F (0.10 °C), a maximum of 78.62 °F (25.90 °C), and a median of 50.18 °F (10.10 °C).[2]
Briar Creek is slightly alkaline on average. The pH of the creek near its mouth ranges from 7.16 to 8.21, with a median of 7.7. Upstream of West Branch Briar Creek, the creek's pH ranges from 6.15 to 7.69. The median is 7.45. Near the creek's headwaters, the pH ranges from 5.52 to 7.47 and has a median of 6.67. West Branch Briar Creek has a minimum pH of 6.96, a median pH of 7.87, and a maximum pH of 8.31. Not far from its headwaters, East Branch Briar Creek has a pH range of 6.78 to 7.21 and a median pH of 6.92. Near Briar Creek Reservoir, it has a pH range of 7.14 to 8.73 and a median pH of 7.565.[2]
The level of total dissolved solids in Briar Creek near its source has a range of 50 to 161 parts per million (ppm) and a median of 96 ppm. Upstream of West Branch Briar Creek, the range is 12 to 98 ppm and the median is 38 ppm. Near Briar Creek's source, the median is 14 ppm, the minimum is 10 ppm, and the maximum is 89 ppm. The concentration of dissolved solids in the upper reaches of East Branch Briar Creek ranges from parts per 25 to 113 ppm, with a median of 35.5 ppm. Immediately upstream of Briar Creek Reservoir, the concentration ranges from parts per 34 to 86 ppm, with a median of 43.5 ppm.[2]
Geology and geography
The watershed of Briar Creek is located in the
In the very northern reaches of the Briar Creek watershed, the bedrock is made up of sandstone. South of the sandstone layer, there is a section of the watershed where the bedrock is mudstone. In the central part of the watershed, the bedrock is siltstone. In the southern part of the watershed, the bedrock is mostly shale, including the part of the watershed in Berwick, which it has bedrock of calcerous shale. A small area north of Berwick has limestone bedrock.[2]
There are a number of types of soil in the Briar Creek watershed. One of these is the Holly Series, which is an acidic
Briar Creek is between 25 feet (7.6 m) and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide. Its tributary West Branch Briar Creek is about 15 feet (4.6 m) wide.[7]
Watershed
The Briar Creek watershed has an area of 33.0 square miles (85 km2).[5] It is located in Columbia County and Luzerne County. There are six communities that are fully or partly within the watershed: Briar Creek, Briar Creek Township, North Centre Township, Orange Township, and Berwick in Columbia County and Salem Township in Luzerne County. A total of 1.04 square miles are located in Briar Creek, 16.48 are located in Briar Creek Township, 12.04 are located in North Centre Township, 0.22 are located in Orange Township, 1.24 are in Berwick, and 1.94 are in Salem Township. As compared to other watersheds with the same size and land use, the Briar Creek watershed has been given a B rating by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. According to the Briar Creek Coldwater Conservation Plan, this indicates that "residents in the watershed are working to improve and/or conserve resources in the area".[2]
A total of 8678 acres, or 41% of the Briar Creek watershed is forested land. Much of this is on Knob Mountain or belongs to the Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 55. A total of 7210 acres, or 34% of the watershed, is farmland and 1143 acres, or 6% of the watershed, is urban land. Most of this is in the southeastern part of the watershed. A total of 3984 acres, or 19% of the land in the watershed, is non-agricultural grassland.[2]
There are approximately 44.23 miles (71.18 km) of streams in the Briar Creek watershed. The watershed is made up of seven smaller watersheds, or sub-watersheds.
History and etymology
Briar Creek was historically known as the "Kawanishoning" to the area's Native Americans.
Up to approximately 1770, the area around Briar Creek was inhabited by the
In the beginning of the 1800s, a number of
By 1911, two dams had been constructed on Glen Brook (a subtributary of Briar Creek) in Briar Creek Township two miles north of Berwick. In 1911, the first dam, known as Number One, had a capacity of 15 million gallons. The second dam, known as Number Two, had a capacity of 7.5 million gallons. In 1911, a third dam was under construction several hundred feet downstream of the two aforementioned dams. It was intended to have a capacity of 23.8 million gallons.[11]
The Briar Creek Watershed Association is a watershed association for Briar Creek. It was formed in 2006.[2]
Biology
Pennsylvania State Game Lands#55 are in the Briar Creek watershed. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has designated the Briar Creek watershed as "place of ecological importance".[2]
More than 90 species of birds
In April 2010, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission performed a survey of the fish species residing in Briar Creek Reservoir. The most common fish observed were
Recreation
Briar Creek Reservoir is located in the Briar Creek watershed, on East Branch Briar Creek.[2] It is owned by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Columbia County.[12] It was originally constructed to control floods, but most recreational activities in the watershed take place at this lake. These include fishing, picnicking, and weddings. There are also Pennsylvania State Game Lands in the watershed.[2] The waters of Briar Creek are approved trout waters and the stream is stocked with trout.[7][13]
See also
- Tenmile Run, next tributary of the Susquehanna going downstream
- Nescopeck Creek, next tributary of the Susquehanna going upstream
- List of rivers of Pennsylvania
References
- ^ a b Google Maps, 2014, retrieved February 26, 2014
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Briar Creek Association for Watershed Solutions, Columbia County Conservation District (December 12, 2012), Briar Creek Watershed Coldwater Conservation Plan Columbia County, PA (PDF), pp. 9–13, 16–24, 29–37, archived from the original (PDF) on February 25, 2015, retrieved February 27, 2014
- USGS (1979), centre.jpg, archived from the originalon June 7, 2014, retrieved February 24, 2014
- ^ USGS (1979), briarcre.jpg, archived from the originalon March 3, 2014, retrieved February 24, 2014
- ^ a b Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, retrieved January 19, 2015
- ^ Earth System Research Laboratories, ESRL, retrieved February 25, 2015
- ^ ISBN 9780811729444, retrieved March 2, 2014
- ^ Walter M. Brasch(1982), Columbia County Place Names, pp. 28–29
- ^ a b c J.H. Beers (1915), Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, pp. 3, 746, 1009, retrieved March 2, 2014
- ^ John Gosse Freeze (1888), A History of Columbia County, Pennsylvania: From the Earliest Times, p. 101, retrieved March 2, 2014
- ^ Pennsylvania Department of Health (1911), Report, Part 1, p. 663, retrieved March 2, 2014
- ^ a b Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (April 2010), Briar Creek Lake Columbia County April 2010, archived from the original on July 14, 2014, retrieved March 2, 2014
- ^ Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (2014), Trout Fishing Regulations NORTHEAST REGION - Regulated Trout Waters, archived from the original on March 22, 2014, retrieved March 2, 2014