Crooked Creek (Tioga River tributary) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crooked Creek |
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|---|---|
| Country | Tioga County, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Chatham Township 1,979 ft (603 m) |
| River mouth | Tioga River Tioga, |
| Length | 26.3 miles (42.3 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 123 sq mi (320 km2) |
Crooked Creek is a stream in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is about 26.3-mile-long (42.3 km) and flows into the Tioga River. A stream like Crooked Creek that flows into a larger river is called a tributary.
Contents
Where is Crooked Creek?
Crooked Creek starts in a place called Chatham Township. This is southwest of a small village named Little Marsh. The creek begins high up, at about 1,979 feet (603 m) above sea level.
The creek first flows east for about 15 miles (24 km). Then, it turns and flows northeast for another 9 miles (14 km). Finally, it meets the Tioga River just north of the town of Tioga. This meeting point is called a confluence, and it's at a lower elevation of about 1,018 ft (310 m).
Even though it's called "Crooked Creek," the stream is actually quite straight! Its path doesn't curve much, which is interesting for a creek with that name.
What is a Watershed?
A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a single river or stream. Crooked Creek's watershed covers about 123 sq mi (320 km2). In 2000, about 4,570 people lived in this area.
Most of the land in the watershed is covered by forests, about 79 sq mi (200 km2). Another large part, about 51 sq mi (130 km2), is used for farming. There's also a small amount of open water, about 1 sq mi (2.6 km2). The Crooked Creek watershed makes up about 12.2% of all the land in Tioga County.
Hammond Reservoir
One of the most important features on Crooked Creek is the Hammond Reservoir. A reservoir is like a large, artificial lake where water is stored. This reservoir was created by building a dam just before Crooked Creek joins the Tioga River.
Building the Dam
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Hammond Dam between 1973 and 1979. It was built at the same time as the Tioga Dam on the Tioga River. Together, these two projects cost about $200 million.
These dams were first approved by the United States Congress in a law passed in 1958. There's a special channel that connects Hammond Lake to Tioga Lake. This allows extra water from Tioga Lake to be stored in Hammond Lake, which is larger.
Why the Dams Were Built
The main reason for building these dams was to help control floods. They help prevent flooding in the Chemung and North Branch Susquehanna Rivers.
Another important job of the dams is to help the Tioga River. The Tioga River sometimes has very acidic water because of something called acid mine drainage. This happens when water from old mines mixes with the river. The Hammond Dam helps by releasing the more neutral water from Crooked Creek into the Tioga River. This helps to make the Tioga River's water less acidic.
Fun at the Lakes
The lakes created by these dams, Hammond Lake and Tioga Lake, are also great places for outdoor activities! People can go camping, boating, fishing, swimming, and hiking on the trails nearby.
