Kehly Run facts for kids

Kehly Run, also called Kahly Run, is a small stream in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. It flows into Shenandoah Creek. The stream is less than 2 miles (3.2 km) long. It flows through West Mahanoy Township and possibly Shenandoah.

The area that drains into the stream (its watershed) is about 1.63 square miles (4.2 km²). Kehly Run is in a region known for coal mining. Several dams have been built along its path. The stream is a "Coldwater Fishery," meaning its waters are cold. Tiny creatures without backbones live here, but no fish have been found.

Where Kehly Run Flows

Kehly Run starts in Fetter Pond in West Mahanoy Township. It flows west for a short distance, going through another pond. Then it enters Number Six Reservoir.

From this reservoir, the stream turns south-southeast. It flows past Number Five Reservoir and crosses Pennsylvania Route 924. The stream then enters a valley. In this valley, Kehly Run generally flows south. It passes through Kehly Run Reservoir Number Three and Number Two Reservoir.

Near the end of this valley, Kehly Run meets or becomes Shenandoah Creek. This happens in West Mahanoy Township, or possibly in Shenandoah. Kehly Run joins Shenandoah Creek about 5.01 miles (8.06 km) before Shenandoah Creek ends.

Water Quality of Kehly Run

Kehly Run is listed as a stream with water quality problems. It is affected by abandoned mine drainage, which is polluted water from old mines. However, in its upper parts, the water quality has been described as "very good." Long ago, in the late 1800s, people said the stream had "good, soft, pure mountain water."

Scientists have measured the water flow and other things in Kehly Run.

• In March 2001, the water flow was 1.56 cubic feet per second (0.044 m³/s).
• In August 2001, it was 0.17 cubic feet per second (0.0048 m³/s).
• The amount of dissolved oxygen in the water was 11.3 milligrams per liter (6.5×10⁻⁶ oz/cu in) in March 2001 and 6.8 milligrams per liter (3.9×10⁻⁶ oz/cu in) in August 2001.
• The pH (how acidic or basic the water is) was 4.7 in March 2001 and 4.8 in August 2001. These numbers mean the water is somewhat acidic.

Scientists also checked for metals in the water:

• Dissolved aluminum was 0.43 milligrams per liter (2.5×10⁻⁷ oz/cu in) in March 2001 and 0.09 milligrams per liter (5.2×10⁻⁸ oz/cu in) in August 2001.
• Dissolved manganese was 0.10 milligrams per liter (5.8×10⁻⁸ oz/cu in) in March and 0.09 milligrams per liter (5.2×10⁻⁸ oz/cu in) in August.
• Dissolved iron was 0.08 milligrams per liter (4.6×10⁻⁸ oz/cu in) in March and 0.18 milligrams per liter (1.0×10⁻⁷ oz/cu in) in August.

Other chemicals found in the water include:

• Dissolved nitrate was less than 0.10 milligrams per liter (5.8×10⁻⁸ oz/cu in) in March 2001 and 0.05 milligrams per liter (2.9×10⁻⁸ oz/cu in) in August 2001.
• Dissolved phosphorus was less than 0.01 milligrams per liter (5.8×10⁻⁹ oz/cu in) in both March and August 2001.
• The sulfate concentration was 7 milligrams per liter (4.0×10⁻⁶ oz/cu in) in March and 5 milligrams per liter (2.9×10⁻⁶ oz/cu in) in August 2001.

Land and Rocks Around the Stream

The place where Kehly Run starts is 1,675 feet (511 m) above sea level. The stream is entirely within the Western Middle Anthracite Field, an area known for coal. There are some old, unused mining lands near the upper parts of the stream.

The dried mud from Kehly Run has a light olive brown color.

There is a dam called Kehly Run Dam No. 3. It is 442 feet (135 m) long and about 33 feet (10 m) high. It is made of earth and rock. In 1980, experts said the dam was in fair condition. There are three more reservoirs upstream (closer to the source) and one pool downstream (closer to where it meets Shenandoah Creek).

Kehly Run's Watershed

The watershed of Kehly Run is the entire area of land where water drains into the stream. This area is 1.63 square miles (4.2 km²). The stream is completely inside the Shenandoah quadrangle, which is a map area used by the United States Geological Survey.

The watershed of Kehly Run makes up about 1 percent of the larger Mahanoy Creek drainage basin. It is located near the northeast corner of the Shenandoah Creek watershed. It is also in the upper part of the Mahanoy Creek watershed.

History of the Stream

Kehly Run was officially added to the Geographic Names Information System on August 2, 1979. Its special ID number in that system is 1178301. The stream is also known by its other name, Kahly Run. This name appeared on a highway map of Schuylkill County in 1975. The map was published by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

In 2007, there were plans to study or remove five dams in the Kehly Run watershed.

Animals and Plants in Kehly Run

In 2001, scientists looked for fish in Kehly Run near Shenandoah, but they didn't find any. However, they did find many macroinvertebrates. These are tiny creatures without backbones, like insects and worms. They found ten different types of these creatures.

• Hydropsychidae (a type of caddisfly) was very common, with 25 to 100 individuals found.
• Leuctridae (a type of stonefly) and Simuliidae (black flies) were common, with 10 to 24 individuals each.
• Cordulegastridae (a type of dragonfly) and Crydalidae (dobsonflies) were "present," meaning 3 to 9 individuals were seen.
• Other types, like Aeshnidae (another dragonfly), Calopterygidae (damselflies), Tipulidae (crane flies), and Cambaridae (crayfish), were "rare," with only one or two found.
• A few other types of Diptera (flies) were also seen.

There are also Second-growth forests (forests that have grown back after being cut down) near some parts of Kehly Run. The stream is classified as a Coldwater Fishery, meaning its cold water is good for certain types of aquatic life. In the past, Kehly Run was a popular place for trout fishing.