Coal Brook facts for kids

Coal Brook is a small stream in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. It's a tributary of the Lackawanna River. This means it's a smaller stream that flows into a larger one.

Coal Brook is about 2.2 miles (3.5 km) long. It flows through Fell Township and Carbondale. The area of land that drains water into Coal Brook is about 1.93 square miles (5.0 km²).

Because of past mining, parts of the stream have changed a lot. Some sections even flow underground in a culvert (a tunnel for water). Despite these changes, Coal Brook is an important home for fish. It's known as a Coldwater Fishery and a Migratory Fishery.

Where Does Coal Brook Flow?

Coal Brook starts high up on a mountain in Fell Township. It flows generally south, making a few turns along the way. After about a mile, it enters the town of Carbondale.

Once in Carbondale, the stream continues flowing southeast. A short distance later, it joins the larger Lackawanna River. Coal Brook meets the Lackawanna River about 29.76 miles (47.89 km) before the Lackawanna River reaches its own mouth.

Water Quality and Flow

Coal Brook is currently listed as an "impaired" stream. This means its water quality or flow isn't as good as it should be. The main problems are changes in how the water flows and the presence of metals. These issues are likely caused by water from old, abandoned mines.

Sometimes, Coal Brook loses all its water flow. This means the stream bed can become completely dry in certain spots. In the past, the stream had "very low flow." Experts believe that a big restoration project could help bring back its natural flow.

Water from stormwater pipes in Carbondale flows into Coal Brook. Also, some sewer pipes leak into the stream where it flows underground. Long ago, in the early 1900s, the stream's mouth was clean. However, its water was sometimes white because of sulfur from the Coal Brook Colliery (an old coal mine).

Land and Rocks Around the Stream

The land around Coal Brook has a history of coal mining. The stream's starting point is high up, between 1,700 and 1,720 feet (520 and 520 m) above sea level. Where it meets the Lackawanna River, the elevation is about 1,083 feet (330 m).

Only the very top part of Coal Brook, about 0.4 miles (0.64 km), has not been affected by mining. Further downstream, the stream flows through areas with culm (waste from coal mining), waste rock, and old strip pits. You can also find small bogs, ponds, and wetlands in the area around the stream. The stream's water comes from mountain springs.

When Coal Brook reaches the Carbondale Nursing Home, it goes into an underground culvert. Its exact path underground isn't fully known. Eventually, it flows out through a pipe into the Lackawanna River. Some parts of Coal Brook have been completely changed by mining or by new buildings. The stream flows through solid rock, not loose soil. Its path is mostly shaped by the rock formations.

The Coal Brook Watershed

The watershed of Coal Brook covers an area of 1.93 square miles (5.0 km²). A watershed is all the land where water drains into a particular stream or river. The mouth of Coal Brook is in the Waymart area. Its source is in the Carbondale area.

Coal Brook is considered a "first-order" stream. This means it's a very small stream that doesn't have any smaller streams flowing into it.

A Look Back in Time

Coal Brook was officially named and added to the Geographic Names Information System in 1979. This system keeps track of names and locations of places.

The Coal Brook Colliery, an old coal mine, used to operate in the area around the stream. It was owned by the Delaware and Hudson Coal Company. Years ago, a group called the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation worked on a project near Coal Brook. They filled in old mining pits and smoothed out waste rock.

In the early 2000s, plans were made to protect Coal Brook. Local towns were asked to include stream protection in their future plans. The stream is also on a list of important areas for restoration by the Lackawanna River Corridor Association.

Wildlife and Plants

The area around Coal Brook is important for fish. It's designated as a Coldwater Fishery, meaning it's suitable for fish that like cold water. It's also a Migratory Fishery, which means fish travel through it. However, in the early 1990s, scientists didn't find any macroinvertebrates (small creatures without backbones) living in the stream itself.

Near where Coal Brook starts, there's a healthy riparian buffer. This is a strip of land along the stream with native trees and plants. This helps protect the stream. Further downstream, you can find different types of plants, including some invasive ones that are not native to the area.