Hemlock Run facts for kids

Hemlock Run is a small stream, also called a tributary. It flows into West Branch Fishing Creek in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, USA. The stream is about 1.8 miles (2.9 km) long. It runs through a place called Davidson Township.

Hemlock Run has three smaller streams that flow into it. These smaller streams don't have names. The area of land that drains into Hemlock Run is about 1.28 square miles (3.3 km²).

Journey of Hemlock Run

Hemlock Run starts on a mountain called Roundtop in Davidson Township. It flows towards the south-southwest. Along the way, a small unnamed stream joins it from the right side.

Then, Hemlock Run turns southeast for a short distance. Another unnamed stream joins it from the left side. After that, it turns south-southwest and then south-southeast.

Deep Valley and Other Streams

The stream then enters a deep valley. Here, it gets another unnamed stream joining it from the right. For the next part of its journey, Hemlock Run slowly turns south.

Finally, it reaches its meeting point with West Branch Fishing Creek. This meeting point is about 9.73 miles (15.66 km) upstream from where West Branch Fishing Creek ends.

Hemlock Run's Tributaries

Hemlock Run does not have any named smaller streams flowing into it. However, it does have three unnamed ones.

• The first unnamed stream is about 0.2 miles (0.32 km) long. It joins Hemlock Run close to where Hemlock Run begins.
• The second unnamed stream is about 0.6 miles (0.97 km) or 0.7 miles (1.1 km) long.
• The third unnamed stream is about 0.4 miles (0.64 km) long.

Land and Rocks Around Hemlock Run

The land around the end of Hemlock Run is about 1,827 feet (557 m) above sea level. Where the stream starts, its source, the land is higher. It is between 2,340 and 2,360 feet (710 and 720 m) above sea level.

Stream Features

Hemlock Run flows through a bedrock gorge. A gorge is a narrow valley with steep, rocky sides. The stream also has waterfalls along its path.

You can find several curved ridges of till in the stream's valley. Till is a mix of rocks and soil left behind by glaciers.

Glaciers and Valleys

Long ago, during the late Wisconsinan period, huge glaciers covered this area. The edge of these glaciers was near Hemlock Run. There are two buried valleys close to the stream. One is on each side of its gorge and waterfall area. One of these hidden valleys follows Hemlock Run towards the north.

Types of Rocks and Soil

A small part of Hemlock Run's valley has bedrock made of sandstone and shale. Near the lower parts of the stream, you can find Wisconsinan Till Moraine and Wisconsinan Bouldery Till. These are types of glacial till. The Bouldery Till has large boulders on its surface. These boulders are made of quartz, sandstone, and conglomerate.

Another type of glacial till, called Wisconsinan Flow-Till, is also found near the lower parts of the stream. In the upper parts of the stream's watershed, you can find Wisconsinan Till.

Hemlock Run's Watershed

The watershed of Hemlock Run covers an area of about 1.28 square miles (3.3 km²). A watershed is all the land where water drains into a particular stream or river.

Hemlock Run is located entirely within the Sonestown area, as mapped by the United States Geological Survey. It is in the eastern part of that map. The stream is found on the northern side of North Mountain.

Protecting the Stream Banks

There are wingwalls made of concrete near Hemlock Run. Wingwalls are structures that help guide water flow. Upstream from these wingwalls, there is about 75 feet (23 m) of R-5 riprap along the stream's west bank. Riprap is a layer of loose rocks used to protect the ground from erosion.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has permission to take care of this riprap and the streambed near the wingwalls.

History of Hemlock Run

Hemlock Run was officially added to the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. This system keeps track of names and locations of places in the United States. Its special ID number in the system is 1176814.