Douglas Hollow facts for kids

Douglas Hollow is a small stream, also known as Douglas Hollow Brook, in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. It's a tributary (a smaller stream that flows into a larger one) of North Branch Mehoopany Creek. The stream is about 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) long. It flows through North Branch Township.

The area of land that drains into Douglas Hollow, called its watershed, is about 1.57 square miles (4.07 square kilometers). Douglas Hollow is known as a Coldwater Fishery. This means its waters are cool enough for certain fish. Four types of fish live here, including wild brook trout.

Where Douglas Hollow Flows

Douglas Hollow starts in a valley. This valley is located between two places: Douglas Hill and Oak Ridge in North Branch Township.

The stream first flows south. It passes through a small pond that doesn't have a name. After flowing south for a bit, it turns to the south-southeast. Then, it turns south again. Finally, it crosses Pennsylvania Route 87 before joining North Branch Mehoopany Creek.

Douglas Hollow meets North Branch Mehoopany Creek about 2.60 miles (4.18 kilometers) upstream from where the creek ends.

Water Quality

Douglas Hollow is considered a healthy stream. It is not listed as an "impaired waterbody." This means its water quality is good.

In 2001, scientists checked the water in Douglas Hollow. They found the water had a pH of 7.2. This is a measurement of how acidic or basic the water is. A pH of 7 is neutral, so 7.2 is slightly basic. The water also had a certain amount of alkalinity and was considered to have some hardness.

When the air temperature was warm in August 2001, the water temperature in the lower part of the stream was about 17.1 degrees Celsius (62.8 degrees Fahrenheit). This temperature is good for coldwater fish.

Land and Landscape

The land around Douglas Hollow changes. It has both forests and farms. Most of the farm land is in the middle and upper parts of the stream's watershed.

The stream flows downhill quite steeply. This is called a "high-gradient stream." It is about 0.9 meters (3 feet) wide. In a study done in August 2001, the lower parts of the stream were sometimes dry. However, there were still small, separate pools of water.

The elevation of the land near where Douglas Hollow starts is about 1307 feet (398 meters) above sea level. Near where it joins North Branch Mehoopany Creek, the elevation is lower, about 892 feet (272 meters) above sea level.

The Stream's Area

The entire area that drains into Douglas Hollow is within a map section called the Jenningsville quadrangle. This is a map made by the United States Geological Survey. Douglas Hollow joins North Branch Mehoopany Creek near a place called Lovelton.

Most of the stream's length is close to a road. About 55 percent of it is within 100 meters (330 feet) of a road. All of the stream is within 300 meters (980 feet) of a road. In 2000, the area around the stream didn't have many people living in it. There were only about 3 people per square kilometer (8 people per square mile).

Stream History

The valley where Douglas Hollow flows was officially added to the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. This system keeps track of place names. The stream itself doesn't have an official name. It gets its name from the valley it flows through. It is also sometimes called Douglas Hollow Brook.

In 2001, scientists from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission studied the streams in the North Branch Mehoopany Creek area. They included a spot on Douglas Hollow in their studies. Because of these studies, Douglas Hollow was added to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's list of wild trout streams in 2013.

Animals and Plants

Wild trout naturally live and reproduce in Douglas Hollow. They can be found from the very beginning of the stream all the way to its end. However, in 2001, there weren't many wild brook trout in the stream.

A study in 2001 found two wild brook trout in the lower part of the stream. They were between 75 and 149 millimeters (3 to 5.9 inches) long. The main reason for the low number of trout was that it was hard for fish to get into the stream in the first place.

Besides brook trout, three other types of fish were seen in the lower parts of Douglas Hollow. These were blacknose dace, creek chub, and sculpins.

Douglas Hollow is officially classified as a Coldwater Fishery. This means it's a good place for fish that need cool water to survive.