Hammersley Fork

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Coordinates: 41°26′50″N 77°52′11″W / 41.4471°N 77.8698°W / 41.4471; -77.8698
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Hammersley Fork
Hammersley Fork Creek
Hammersley Fork
Mouth is located in Pennsylvania
Mouth
Mouth
Location of the mouth of Hammersely Fork in Pennsylvania
Etymologynamed after J.P. Hammersley
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationcentral Eulalia Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania
 • elevationbetween 1,800 and 1,820 feet (549 and 555 m)
Mouth 
 • location
Kettle Creek in Leidy Township, Clinton County, Pennsylvania
 • coordinates
41°26′50″N 77°52′11″W / 41.4471°N 77.8698°W / 41.4471; -77.8698
 • elevation
968 ft (295 m)
Length10.0 mi (16.1 km)
Basin size32.55 sq mi (84.3 km2)
Basin features
ProgressionKettle Creek → West Branch Susquehanna River → Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay

Hammersley Fork (also known as Hammersley Fork Creek

rock formation in the watershed is the Pottsville Formation
. A number of bridges cross the stream.

There are no state roads and virtually no township roads in the watershed of Hammersley Fork. However, there are dirt roads and gravel roads, and several stream crossings in the watershed. The first settlers arrived in the watershed in 1827 and the first roads in the area were constructed several years later. Industrial activities such as logging were common in the watershed in the early 20th century, but there is currently virtually no such activity there. Wild trout naturally reproduce in the stream throughout its entire length. Most of the creek has a substantial riparian buffer.

Course

Hammersley Fork begins in central Eulalia Township, Potter County, near the Sinnemahoning Creek watershed. It flows southeast to Elk Lick Knob, where it receives the tributary Black Mark Hollow. The stream then turns south and flows into a valley, passing Bunnell Ridge. The valley gets deeper and the stream receives several small tributaries. It turns southwest shortly downstream of the mouth of Elkhorn Run.[3] In the southern reaches of the township, the stream receives the tributary Bell Branch and turns south-southeast, exiting Eulalia Township.[3][4]

Upon leaving Eulalia Township, Potter County, Hammersley Fork enters

Leidy Township, Clinton County and continues south, passing by Susquehannock State Forest. The stream continues south for some distance and crosses Pennsylvania Route 144. Immediately after crossing Pennsylvania Route 144, the stream reaches its confluence with Kettle Creek.[5] Hammersley Fork joins Kettle Creek 19.90 miles (32.03 km) upstream of its mouth.[6]

Hydrology

The concentration of alkalinity in Hammersley Fork ranges from 0.011 to 0.015 ounces per cubic foot (11 to 15 mg/L). Particles in the stream include coarse sand and fine gravel.[7] The stream experiences relatively high water temperatures and in July 2003, its temperature between Dry Hollow and Bunnell Run ranges from 68 to 72 °F (20 to 22 °C).[7][8] Between Dry Hollow and Nelson Branch, the temperature ranged from 70 to 73 °F (21 to 23 °C).[8]

The sediment load in Hammersley Fork is 0.27 pounds per acre (0.30 kg/ha) per year. The nitrogen load is 1.55 pounds per acre (1.74 kg/ha) per year, while the phosphorus load is less than half a pound per acre per year.[9]

Between the mouth of Dry Hollow and the mouth of Bunnell Run, the waters of Hammersley Fork are a Rosgen type F and a Rosgen type C stream.[a] The upper part of the stretch of the stream between Dry Hollow and Nelson Branch is a Rosgen type C stream. The middle part of the stretch is a Rosgen type B stream and the lower part is a Rosgen type F to D stream.[8]

Geography and geology

The elevation near the mouth of Hammersley Fork is 968 feet (295 m) above sea level.[11] The elevation of the stream's source is between 1,800 and 1,820 feet (549 and 555 m) above sea level.[2]

The

channelized.[14]

Hammersley Fork flows over bedrock or large cobbles for much of the stretch between Dry Hollow and Nelson Branch. From the mouth of Nelson Branch to 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream, the stream mostly flows in the central part of its valley.[8] The tributary Nelson Branch has a patch of erosion that is 26 feet (8 m) high and 59 feet (18 m) long.[8] There is a floodplain at the mouth of Hammersley Fork.[15] Two bridges cross Hammersley Fork near its mouth. One carries Pennsylvania Route 144 and the other carries Hammersley Avenue.[7]

Watershed

The watershed of Hammersley Fork has an area of 32.7 square miles (85 km2) , making it the second-largest sub-watershed of Kettle Creek after Cross Fork.[6][13] There are 57.42 miles (92.41 km) of streams in the watershed.[13] The mouth of the stream is in the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Tamarack. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Short Run. The stream also passes through the quadrangle of Hammersley Fork.[11]

A number of

township roads in the watershed.[9] However, much of the upper part of the watershed can only be accessed on foot.[8] There are five road crossings of the stream and its tributaries.[9] There is some agricultural land along the stream.[15]

History and recreation

Hammersley Fork was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979 and its identifier is 1199877.[11] It is named after J. P. Hammersley.[16]

Jacob "Old Jake" Hammersley and Archie Stewart settled at the mouth of Hammersley Fork in 1827, with Hammersley settling on the east bank of the stream and Stewart settling on the west bank. They were the first settlers to come that far upstream in the Kettle Creek watershed. Additionally, the two constructed a

railroads in the watershed.[1]

railroad grade is located on Hammersley Fork.[17] Fish have been stocked in the stream since the 1930s or 1940s.[14]

A two-span steel stringer/multi-beam or girder bridge carrying T545 over Hammersley Fork was built in 1933 and repaired in 2010. The bridge is 64.0 feet (19.5 m) long. A two-span bridge was built over the stream in 1962 and repaired in 2011. This bridge is 107.0 feet (32.6 m) long and carries Pennsylvania Route 144.[18]

The Cherry Springs Civilian Conservation Corps camp was built near the headwaters of Hammersley Fork in 1933.[1] The Hammersley Trail, which is part of the Susquehannock Trail System, passes by the mouth of Hammersley Fork.[19]

Biology

Wild

river valleys.[19] Little yellow stoneflies also inhabit it.[21] Brown trout first appeared in the stream in the 1920s after being stocked in Cross Fork and in the 1940s the brown trout populations significantly increased.[22]

The

old-growth hemlock trees.[23] The Hammersley Wild Area is also located in the watershed. The stream's watershed is a Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory Biological Diversity Area. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection also classifies the watershed as an exceptional-value area.[15]

From the mouth of Hammersley Fork to 0.75 miles (1.21 km) upstream of the mouth, the canopy cover ranges from 0 to 50 percent.[7] Much of the creek, however, has a significant riparian buffer.[8]

The canopy coverage of the section of Hammersley Fork between Dry Hollow and Bunnell Run is 62 percent on average. However, the lower part of this section has 86 percent canopy coverage. The upper part of the stretch of the stream between Nelson Branch and Dry Hollow has a canopy coverage of 93 percent. The middle part of this section has a coverage of 58 percent and the lowest part has a canopy coverage of 89 percent. The tree coverage at the confluence of Nelson Branch with Hammersley Fork is 70 percent. The canopy coverage up to 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream of the confluence averages 40 percent. Tree species in this stretch include hemlock,

river birch, sycamore, and willow.[8]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The Rosgen Stream Classification System classifies streams by characteristics relating to their valley morphology, relief, and landform.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c Pennsylvania State University (Spring 2001), Kettle Creek Culture (PDF), retrieved May 2, 2014
  2. ^ a b United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, retrieved April 30, 2015
  3. ^
    USGS (1986), eulalia2.jpg, archived from the original
    on April 22, 2014, retrieved April 21, 2014
  4. USGS (1986), wharton.jpg, archived from the original
    on April 22, 2014, retrieved April 21, 2014
  5. USGS (1986), clinton.jpg, archived from the original
    on January 9, 2014, retrieved April 21, 2014
  6. ^ a b Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, p. 60, retrieved April 30, 2015
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Trout Unlimited, Kettle Creek Watershed Association (2002), Upper Kettle Creek Fish Habitat and Conservation Plan Clinton and Potter Counties, Pennsylvania (PDF), retrieved April 27, 2014
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k UPPER KETTLE CREEK FISH HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN TRIBUTARIES ADDENDUM (PDF), March 2005, retrieved April 29, 2014
  9. ^ a b c d Pennsylvania State University (Spring 2001), The Quality of Our Waters (PDF), retrieved May 2, 2014
  10. ^ United States Environmental Protection Agency, Fundamentals of Rosgen Stream Classification System, retrieved October 1, 2015
  11. ^ a b c Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Hammersley Fork, retrieved April 30, 2015
  12. ^ Geological Survey Professional Paper, Volumes 288–293, 1956
  13. ^ a b c d e Pennsylvania State University (Spring 2001), The Physical Landscape (PDF), retrieved May 2, 2014
  14. ^ a b Pennsylvania State University (Spring 2001), Wildlife & Fisheries (PDF), retrieved May 2, 2014
  15. ^ a b c Pennsylvania State University (Spring 2001), Landuse & Landcover (PDF), retrieved May 2, 2014
  16. ISBN 9780822954361
  17. ISBN 9780963932839
  18. ^ Clinton County, retrieved April 30, 2015
  19. ^ a b Road-Less Wild Area in Pennsylvania (PDF), May 2002, archived from the original (PDF) on July 20, 2011, retrieved April 21, 2014
  20. ^ Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (January 2015), Pennsylvania Wild Trout Waters (Natural Reproduction) - Jan 2015 (PDF), p. 71, retrieved April 30, 2015
  21. ISBN 9780811744287
  22. ^ Ralph Levi Watts; G. W. Harvey; Gordon Leon Trembley (1942), Brook Trout in Kettle Creek and Tributaries
  23. ^
    ISBN 9781461708483
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