Mahoning Creek (Susquehanna River tributary)
Mahoning Creek | |
---|---|
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | valley in Madison Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania |
• elevation | between 1,080 and 1,100 feet (330 and 340 m) |
Mouth | |
• location | Susquehanna River in Danville, Montour County, Pennsylvania |
• coordinates | 40°57′54″N 76°37′54″W / 40.9649°N 76.6316°W |
• elevation | 463 ft (141 m) |
Length | 10.6 mi (17.1 km) |
Basin size | 39.6 sq mi (103 km2) |
Basin features | |
Progression | Susquehanna River → Chesapeake Bay |
Tributaries | |
• left | Sechler Run, Kase Run |
• right | Mauses Creek |
Mahoning Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Columbia County and Montour County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is approximately 10.6 miles (17.1 km) long and flows through Madison Township in Columbia County and West Hemlock Township, Derry Township, Valley Township, Mahoning Township, and Danville in Montour County.[1] The watershed of the creek has an area of 39.6 square miles (103 km2). Its tributaries include Kase Run, Mauses Creek, and Sechler Run. Mahoning Creek is designated as a Trout-Stocking Fishery and a Migratory Fishery for part of its length and as a Warmwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery for the remainder.
Mahoning Creek is considered by the
There was historically a village of the Delaware tribe near the mouth of Mahoning Creek. The first people of European descent arrived in the area in the 1760s and 1770s. Various mills were constructed on it in the 1700s and 1800s. Numerous bridges have also been constructed across the creek. Part of the creek is in the Montour Ridge Landscape Corridor.
Course
Mahoning Creek begins in a valley in Madison Township, Columbia County. It flows south for a short distance before turning west-southwest for several tenths of a mile, exiting Columbia County.[1]
Upon exiting Columbia County, Mahoning Creek enters West Hemlock Township, Montour County. It flows south-southwest alongside
Mahoning Creek joins the Susquehanna River 136.26 miles (219.29 km) upstream of its mouth.[2]
Tributaries
Mahoning Creek has three named tributaries, which are known as Kase Run, Mauses Creek, and Sechler Run. The creek also has a number of unnamed tributaries.[3] There are a total of 92 stream miles in the watershed of the creek. 90 of these stream miles are in Montour County and the other two stream miles are in Columbia County.[4]
The watershed of the tributary Sechler Run has an area of 7.76 square miles (20.1 km2). The tributary Mauses Creek joins Mahoning Creek 3.00 miles (4.83 km) upstream of its mouth and has a watershed area of 11.40 square miles (29.5 km2). The tributary Kase Run reaches its confluence with the creek 4.70 miles (7.56 km) upstream of its mouth. Its watershed has an area of 7.27 square miles (18.8 km2).[2]
Hydrology
The daily sediment load in Mahoning Creek is 48,768.3419 pounds (22,120.9478 kg) and daily load of phosphorus is 26.3570 pounds (11.9553 kg). The total maximum daily loads for these substances are 22,751.4043 pounds (10,319.8634 kg) and 22.8377 pounds (10.3590 kg), respectively.[3]
There is significant
A total of 24,960.6159 pounds (11,321.9449 kg) of sediment from stream banks flows through Mahoning Creek daily. A daily load of 19,396.7123 pounds (8,798.2007 kg) of sediment in the creek comes from croplands, 1,609.6986 pounds (730.1470 kg) comes from land classified as "low-intensity development" by the
15.4946 pounds (7.0282 kg) of phosphorus from croplands flows through Mahoning Creek daily, as do 4.9033 pounds (2.2241 kg) of phosphorus from
On average, 39.3 inches (100 cm) of precipitation fall in the watershed of Mahoning Creek each year. The average annual runoff is 0.23 inches (0.58 cm).[3]
Geology and geography
The elevation near the
In the upland parts of the watershed of Mahoning Creek, 95 percent of the rock is
50 percent of the rock in the Mahoning Creek watershed is of the Trimmers Rock Formation, 15 percent is of the Clinton Group, and 10 percent is of the Hamilton Group. The Bloomsburg and Mifflintown Formation occupies 8 percent of the watershed. The Keyser and Tonoloway Formation, the Wills Creek Formation, and the Catskill Formation each occupy 5 percent, while the Onondaga and Old Port Formation makes up 2 percent.[3]
The most common soil series in the watershed of Mahoning Creek is the Berks-Weikert-Alvira series, a shaly silt loam. Other soil series in the watershed include the Chenango-Pope-Holly series, the Clymer-Buchanan-Norwich series, and the Leck Kill-Meckesville-Calvin series. The Chenango-Pope-Holly series is found in the lower reaches of the watershed, the Leck Kill-Minersville-Calvin series is found in the northwestern part of it, and the Clymer-Buchanan-Norwich series occurs in the southwestern part of the watershed. All other parts of it are occupied by the Berks-Weikert-Alvira series.[3]
The Berks-Weikert-Alvira makes up 90 percent of the soil in the Mahoning Creek watershed. 5 percent is of the Leck Kill-Meckesville-Calvin series, 3 percent is of the Clymer-Buchanan-Norwich, and 2 percent is of the Chenango-Pope-Holly series.[3]
Mahoning Creek cuts through Montour Ridge.[6] It has a forested floodplain in Mahoning Township.[7] Parts of the creek experience stream bank erosion.[3]
Watershed
The watershed of Mahoning Creek has an area of 39.6 square miles (103 km2).[3] It primarily drains the central portion of Montour County and is almost entirely in Montour County. However, a small portion of the creek's watershed lies in the neighboring Columbia County. The watershed makes up 30 percent of the area of Montour County.[4] Mahoning Creek drains the area in the vicinity of Danville.[8] The mouth of the creek is in the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Riverside. However, its source is in the quadrangle of Millville. It also passes through the quadrangle of Danville.[5]
47.15 percent of the watershed of Mahoning Creek consists of forested land. 36.47 percent of the watershed is agricultural land and 16.38 percent is developed land. Most of the developed land is classified as "low-intensity development", but some is classified as "high-intensity development". There are 7.4 acres of wetlands in the watershed.[3]
Much of the land near the mouth of Mahoning Creek is developed. A strip of land crossing the watershed in its central section is also developed. The southernmost part of the watershed is largely agricultural land. North of this is an area of mostly forested land and the central part of the watershed is mostly agricultural land. The northern part includes both forested and agricultural land.[3] The fastest development in Montour County is occurring in the watershed of the creek.[4]
History and etymology
Mahoning Creek was entered into the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its identifier in the Geographic Names Information System is 1192876.[5] The word "mahoning" is a Native American word for "at the lick".[9]
There used to be a village of
The first
Numerous
Mahoning Creek has a watershed association, which is known as the Mahoning Creek Watershed Association. It is one of two active watershed associations in Montour County. The association has carried out watershed assessments and water quality measurements of the creek. They have also worked on a watershed restoration plan.[4]
Biology
Mahoning Creek is a Trout-Stocked Fishery and a Migratory Fishery from its source to the Pennsylvania Route 54 bridge. From that point to its mouth, it is a Warmwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery. However, the tributaries Sechler Run, Mauses Creek, and Kase Run are Coldwater Fisheries and Migratory Fisheries, as are the unnamed tributaries of Mahoning Creek.[11] Part of Mahoning Creek, its floodplain, and the nearby slopes are part of the Montour Ridge Landscape Corridor.[7]
Wild
Eight species of
Mahoning Creek lacks a
Five species of
See also
- Gaskins Run, next tributary of the Susquehanna River going downriver
- Toby Run, next tributary of the Susquehanna River going upriver
- List of rivers of Pennsylvania
References
- ^ a b c d e United States Geological Survey, The National Map Viewer, retrieved March 31, 2015
- ^ a b Pennsylvania Gazetteer of Streams (PDF), November 2, 2001, retrieved July 23, 2014
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (April 30, 2011), MAHONING CREEK WATERSHED TMDL Northumberland and Montour Counties (PDF), retrieved July 7, 2014
- ^ a b c d e Montour County Implementation Plan For The Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21, retrieved June 25, 2013
- ^ a b c Geographic Names Information System, Feature Detail Report for: Mahoning Creek, retrieved March 31, 2015
- ^ a b c d J. H. Battle (1887), History of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, pp. 5, 32, 75, retrieved June 25, 2013
- ^ a b c d e Pennsylvania Science Office of The Nature Conservancy (2005), MONTOUR COUNTY NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY 2005 (PDF), retrieved July 8, 2014
- ^ a b c J.H. Beers (1915), Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia County, Pennsylvania, pp. 19, 409, 452, retrieved June 25, 2013
- ISBN 9780942594119, retrieved July 10, 2014
- ^ Montour County, retrieved March 31, 2015
- ^ "§ 93.9k. Drainage List K. Susquehanna River Basin in Pennsylvania Susquehanna River", Pennsylvania Code, retrieved March 31, 2015
- ^ Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (January 2015), Pennsylvania Wild Trout Waters (Natural Reproduction) - Jan 2015 (PDF), p. 66, retrieved March 31, 2015