Cranberry Creek (Stony Creek tributary) facts for kids

Cranberry Creek (also called Grape Run) is a small stream in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It flows into Stony Creek. The creek is about 4.4 miles (7.1 km) long. It runs through Hazle Township.

Cranberry Creek has been affected by pollution from old mines. This pollution is called acid mine drainage. It means the water has too much acid and metals like iron, manganese, and aluminum. People are working to clean up the creek. There are also plans to build a park nearby called Cranberry Creek Gateway Park.

Where Does Cranberry Creek Flow?

Cranberry Creek starts in a pond in Hazle Township. It flows north for a short distance. Along the way, it passes through the Grape Run Reservoir. The creek then leaves the reservoir and keeps flowing north.

After about a mile, it turns east-northeast. Then it turns north again, and later northwest. It flows between the towns of Cranberry and Hollars Hill. The creek then turns west and crosses Pennsylvania Route 924. It continues west before turning north. It flows between two mountains, next to Interstate 81. Finally, it meets another small stream and joins Stony Creek.

What About the Water Quality?

About 3 miles (4.8 km) of Cranberry Creek are affected by acid mine drainage. This is water from old mines that makes the creek too acidic. It also adds harmful metals to the water. This pollution makes the creek unhealthy for plants and animals.

Cranberry Creek is a big source of this polluted water for Black Creek. Because of this, Cranberry Creek was listed as an "impaired stream" in 2002. This means its water quality is not good enough.

The creek has too much aluminum, iron, and acidity. For example, the amount of iron in the creek is much higher than it should be. The water's pH (how acidic or basic it is) is usually around 5.08. This is quite acidic, like black coffee. Healthy streams usually have a pH closer to 7.

Sometimes, Cranberry Creek can even dry up. This happens because of how water flows through the area, especially near old mining sites.

How Does the Land Affect the Creek?

The land around Cranberry Creek plays a big role in its health. The creek starts high up, between 1,740 and 1,760 feet (530 to 536 m) above sea level. It ends at about 1,460 feet (445 m) above sea level.

The Grape Run Reservoir is on the upper part of the creek. The creek also flows through an area called the Hazleton Basin. Here, the water can disappear into the ground because of old strip mining areas. This means not much water leaves this area.

Cranberry Creek is one of only four streams that successfully flow out of the Jeddo Tunnel drainage area. This tunnel was built to help drain water from mines. For a long time, most of Cranberry Creek's water was sent into the Jeddo Tunnel. But now, the creek has been moved back to its original path. This was done to help restore its natural flow.

What is the Cranberry Creek Watershed?

A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a single stream or river. The watershed of Cranberry Creek is about 8 square miles (21 km2). It is next to the watersheds of Stony Creek and Black Creek.

Many roads are in the watershed, including Pennsylvania Route 924, Pennsylvania Route 309, and Interstate 81. A large part of the land in the watershed was used for coal mining. This includes areas where the land was dug up for coal.

The creek is near a mining village called Cranberry and the city of Hazleton. Historically, the creek helped drain water from the Harwood and Cranberry mining areas.

A Look at Cranberry Creek's History

Cranberry Creek has been known since at least the early 1900s. Back then, it was already polluted by sulfur from the Cranberry Mines. This pollution made the water very acidic. Because of this, the creek was not safe for drinking water. A sewer system also used to empty into the creek.

For many years, coal mining and strip mining happened in the Cranberry Creek watershed. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation is working to restore the creek's flow. They want the water to run naturally along its whole length.

A large area of land near the creek was used for coal mining until 1947. In 2006, a group bought this land. They plan to build a fun place called the Cranberry Creek Gateway Park there.

During the creek's restoration, nearly 7,000 feet (2,100 m) of the creek were moved. This project also helped clean up 135 acres (55 ha) of old strip mining land. In 1967, a concrete culvert bridge was built over Cranberry Creek. It carries Pennsylvania Route 924 and is 37.1 feet (11.3 m) long.

Wildlife in the Creek

Cranberry Creek is known as a Coldwater Fishery. This means it has the right conditions for fish that prefer cold water.